PRIZES to win! PROMOTIONS

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

$180

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

QTY:

English
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
16 October 2025
Kipyego Cheluget and Stephen Wright evaluate the legacy of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta.

Following a nationalist uprising and brutal colonial repression, Kenya became independent in December 1963. With much of the agricultural land still under European settler control, Jomo Kenyatta promoted foreign and security policies to balance Kenyan, African, and settler interests, attracting foreign investment into the new country. Kenyatta’s programs, however, favored the West and established a growing need for British and American security guarantees to sustain Kenya in an increasingly unstable Eastern African region. In this book, Cheluget and Wright show that despite the growing pressures within Kenyan civil society for diversification of policies and redistribution of economic wealth, Kenyatta consistently maintained pro-western policies until his death in 1978. This book is split into 3 parts. Part I discusses the growth of Kenyan nationalism, the end of the colonial era, and the birth of the Kenyan State. Part II considers the political economy and development strategies of the Kenyan State. Part III assesses the degree of continuity of the succeeding leadership portrayed from the Jomo Kenyatta presidency. Through this detailed analysis, the authors examine Kenyatta’s policies and examine how successive Kenyan presidents have largely maintained his policies and venerated his legacy.
By:   ,
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 229mm,  Width: 152mm, 
ISBN:   9781666962413
ISBN 10:   1666962414
Pages:   274
Publication Date:  
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Undergraduate ,  Further / Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
About the Authors Part I: The Setting Introduction: Foreign and Security Policies in Africa Chapter 1: Building the Kenyan State Part II: The Jomo Kenyatta Presidency, 1964—1978 Chapter 2: Growth and Development in an Evolving Political Economy Chapter 3: Domestic Actors in Foreign and Security Policies Chapter 4: Relations with Tanzania and Uganda within the East African Community Chapter 5: Security and Stability in Wider Eastern Africa Chapter 6: Expanding Trade Opportunities and Forging Security Partnerships Chapter 7: Policy and Reputation in Africa and International Organizations Part III: Legacies and Post-Kenyatta Foreign and Security Policies Chapter 8: In Jomo Kenyatta’s Footsteps: Daniel arap Moi, 1978—2002 Chapter 9: Kenyan Foreign and Security Policies in the Twenty-First Century Bibliography Index

Kipyego Cheluget is former Assistant Secretary-General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, former Deputy Secretary-General of East African Community, and former Ambassador of Kenya. Stephen Wright is Emeritus Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Northern Arizona University, USA.

Reviews for Kenyan Foreign and Security Policies: The Jomo Kenyatta Presidency and Legacy

This book offers a nuanced and comprehensive analysis of Kenya's foreign and security policies, beginning with the legacy of Jomo Kenyatta's presidency and tracing its influence on subsequent administrations of Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. By situating Kenya's policies within the broader context of African and global diplomacy, this book provides a deeper understanding of how colonial legacies, domestic political dynamics, and economic strategies shaped the nation's trajectory. Kipyego Cheluget and Stephen Wright skillfully integrate themes such as Pan-Africanism, Cold War geopolitics, regional cooperation, and Kenya's pragmatic diplomacy to highlight the interplay between domestic and external factors, offering valuable insights into Kenya's role as a stabilizing force in the Eastern Africa and its navigation of complex global partnerships. The blend of historical depth, theoretical rigor, and practical relevance makes it a compelling resource for scholars, policymakers, and anyone keen to understand the forces shaping modern African states. * Paul Kibiwott Kurgat, Senior Lecturer of Diplomacy and International Relations, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya * Cheluget and Wright offer unique and comprehensive treatise on the ramifications of domestic and concomitant African factors on Kenya's foreign and security policies grounded during the Kenyatta presidency which, the nuances notwithstanding, largely buttressed the successive administrations of Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta, and William Ruto. This volume is a must for courses on Kenya Foreign Policy, African Foreign Policy, African International Relations, and African Politics. * Korwa Gombe Adar, Professor of International Studies, United States International University-Africa, Kenya *


See Also