This archive report was first published on 13 June 2020.
On June 17, 2021, Kenya's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will be put to the test as permanent representatives of the 193 member states cast their ballots in New York.
With its long history of prioritizing regional conflict resolution and peace building, Kenya is well-positioned to add value to the UNSC's efforts in addressing global challenges.
Since independence, successive Kenyan governments have prioritized peace and security, evolving a peace doctrine that emphasizes peacemaking and peace building as core pillars of domestic and foreign policy.
Kenya's conflict mediation efforts date back to 1975, when President Jomo Kenyatta brokered a truce between Angolan nationalist parties. In the 1980s, President Daniel Moi played a key role in the Mozambique peace process, and in the 1990s, Kenya engaged with the Democratic Republic of Congo peace process.
Closer to home, Kenya has invested diplomatic capacity and financial capital in resolving conflicts in the Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, and Ethiopia. The country hosted and mediated the Sudan Peace Process, which led to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, and facilitated the Somalia peace process, resulting in the election of a President in 2004.
At the African Union level, Kenya has remained active in the search for peace since the OAU days, becoming a founder member of the AU Peace and Security Council. Globally, Kenya has participated in peace missions across 40 countries, contributing over 55,000 personnel, and hosts the oldest and largest International Peace Support Training Centre in Africa.
On November 7, 2019, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Monica K. Juma launched Kenya's global campaign in New York, promising to bring experience, expertise, and networks to the UNSC. She urged the UN membership to support Africa and vote for Kenya.
