FORMS AND SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF MAA CULTURAL DIPLOMACY IN CONSTRUCTING KENYA'S EXTERNAL IMAGE
Abstract
Purpose of the Student: This study examined the forms of Maa cultural diplomacy employed in Kenya's engagement with foreign publics and assessed its socio-cultural contribution to the construction of Kenya's external image, addressing a gap in International Relations scholarship, where Maa cultural expressions are prominently visible in Kenya's international representation yet remain under-theorized as a distinct instrument of cultural diplomacy.
Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive-exploratory, mixed-methods design, drawing on a sample of 150 respondents, comprising cultural elders, practitioners, government officials, diplomats, and representatives of cultural and tourism organizations, selected through purposive and snowball sampling from a target population of 240. Data were collected using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group discussion in Narok County, with quantitative data analyzed descriptively and qualitative data analyzed thematically. Findings: Findings revealed that dress and adornment, traditional dances and music, and cultural festivals dominate Kenya's Maa cultural diplomacy practice, while cross-border cultural exchanges and digital or narrative representation remain critically underdeveloped, reflecting a model that privileges visual impact over sustained narrative engagement. Maa cultural diplomacy was found to make a strong socio-cultural contribution to Kenya's external image, with all five measured effect dimensions, visibility, attractiveness, authenticity, uniqueness, and people-to-people engagement, recording means above 4.25, although the comparatively weaker performance of people-to-people engagement revealed a persistent gap between image projection and the cultivation of deep relational ties with foreign publics.
Conclusion: The study concludes that Maa cultural diplomacy constitutes a potent but institutionally underdeveloped pillar of Kenya's soft power architecture, whose visual and symbolic strength has yet to be matched by a deliberate, narrative-driven diplomatic strategy.
Recommendation: The study recommends diversifying Maa cultural diplomacy through cross-border exchange and digital storytelling, and establishing community-led cultural ambassador programs to deepen international engagement beyond material and visual representation.
Keywords: Forms, Socio-Cultural, Contributions, Maa Cultural Diplomacy, Constructing Kenya's, External Image
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