A Comparative Analysis between Career Ambassadors and Politically Appointed Ambassadors in Advancing Kenya’s Foreign Policy From 1963-2019

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Abstract:

The effectiveness of politically appointed diplomats compared to career diplomats became a national debate in 2018 when President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed several former politicians and civil servants who had never worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to serve in strategic capitals around the world (Olick, 2018). This debate inspired the main objective of this research which seeks to understand the history of this practice and to compare career and politically appointed ambassadors in advancing Kenya’s Foreign Policy from 1963-2019. The specific objective of this study include the following: to understand why political appointments take place and when the trend started in Kenya; to examine the legal framework governing the appointment of ambassadors; to compare the general competencies and impact of career ambassadors compared to politically appointed ambassadors in their ability to advance Kenya’s Foreign Policy. The analytical framework of the research is centered on two sets of literature: success in foreign policy advancement and political patronage and its influence in the appointment of ambassadors whereas the theoretical framework is based on realism. The research employs a comparative research design and qualitative data collection methods were employed.

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A Comparative Analysis between Career Ambassadors and Politically Appointed Ambassadors in Advancing Kenya’s Foreign Policy From 1963-2019

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