DYNAMICS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF KENYA'S CULTURAL DIPLOMACY AS A TOOL FOR ENHANCING REGIONAL INTEGRATION IN THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The study examined the dynamics and effectiveness of Kenya's cultural diplomacy as a soft power tool for enhancing regional integration in the East African Community (EAC).
Statement of the problem: Despite Kenya's formal commitment to cultural diplomacy as a foreign policy pillar, there is insufficient empirical evidence linking its specific cultural diplomacy initiatives to measurable people-centered regional integration outcomes within the EAC, leaving policymakers without the evidence base needed to fully leverage culture as a sustainable integration instrument.
Research Methodology: The study adopted a mixed-methods design, drawing data from structured questionnaires and key informant interviews from 137 respondents drawn from government officials, cultural practitioners, academics, youth representatives, and community members. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically.
Findings: Findings show that Kenya's cultural diplomacy is broadly recognized and actively deployed, with an overall awareness mean of 4.30 and an overall extent-of-use mean of 4.22. Cultural festivals (mean = 4.36) were the most extensively deployed strategy, while Kiswahili promotion, though fourth in deployment ranking, was the most consistently perceived strategy across respondent categories (SD = 0.72). Cultural exchange programs recorded the largest gap between perceived contribution (mean = 4.50) and actual deployment (mean = 4.09), indicating systematic underinvestment in the most transformative instrument. Cultural diplomacy was found to be effective in strengthening regional identity (71.5% observed), fostering cross-border interaction (59.9%), and promoting social cohesion (39.4%), with an overall effectiveness mean of 4.27 and 93.4% of respondents affirming its value as an integration tool. However, people-centered participation (19.0% observed) and institutional acceptance (18.2% observed) remained the weakest outcomes, revealing a gap between social effectiveness and institutional integration.
Conclusion: The study concludes that Kenya's cultural diplomacy generates strong social integration outcomes but has not been systematically linked to formal EAC institutional processes.
Recommendations: The study recommends stronger institutional coordination, dedicated funding for cultural exchange programs, and deliberate policy mechanisms to convert social spillovers into institutional integration.
Keywords: Cultural Diplomacy, Soft Power, Regional Integration, East African Community, Kenya, Kiswahili.
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