Non-alignment: an analysis of its interpretation and application in Kenya (1963-1986)
Abstract
This study attempts to determine whether Kenya
has been non-aligned in practice. The period covered
is from 1963 to 1986, however these dates are not
strictly adhered to. The central question in the study
is to establish when and with regard to which aspects
of non-alignment one can talk of Kenya as having been
non-aligned or otherwise.
In Chapter One an attempt is made to justify
the study on grounds that Kenya's interpretation and
applicatj.on of the principle of non-alignment 1S of
interest both to Kenya's policy-makers and to students
of international relations. In the same chapter a
review of literature is made and this further establishes
the need for a study fike the present one and reveals
some of the allegations which have been made about
Kenya's non-alignment. To facilitate the study, Power
Theory is adopted and from it a hypothesis is drawn to
the effect that in practice states find it hard to be
non-aligned.
For a method of analysis we have borrowed largely
from Helge Hveem and Peter Willetts' approach which
consists of the analysis of a country's military,
economic, diplomatic and United Nations General Assembly
voting patterns as indices of alignment. However we
have made certain significant modifications on this
method to suit our purposes.
Prior to embarking on actual analysis of Kenya's
position vis-a-vis the implementation of non-alignment,
in Chapters Two and Three the general aspects of nonalignment
and non-alignment in Kenya's foreign policy
are discussed respectively.
The discussion on the general aspects of nOllalignment
is justified by the observation that the
common concerns of the member-states of the Non-Aligned
Movement have become the fundamental principles upon
which the Non-Aligned countries base their decisions.
On the other hand, thediscussionsof Kenya1s foreign
policy and how non-alignment fits into it is justified
by a contention that " discussing Kenya's non-alignment -. without also discussing the general foreign policy of
the country would present an incomplete picture since
Kenya's non-alignment is part and parcel of the country1s
foreign policy.
Chapters Four, Five and Six are devoted to
analysing Kenya1s practice of non-alignment, with
each aspect of the principle receiving a separate
analysis. In the first section of Chapter Se
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Government at the
University of Nairobi