Science, Technology and Innovation in Promoting Kenya’s Diplomacy

The potential for STI is now a critical pillar in national development, as well as foreign policy discourse. In Kenya, the advance towards various forms of diplomacy has been driven by the need to address socio-economic challenges. Yet, despite the STI Act of 2013 and the country’s efforts to harness this potential, there exists possible gaps in how STI can be utilized to promote diplomacy. Determining the function of science, technology, and innovation in advancing Kenya's diplomacy was the study's overarching goal. Establishing the present trends of STI in promoting diplomacy in Kenya; examining the relationship between science, technology, and innovation and diplomacy in Kenya; and looking at the institutional and policy framework of STI in promoting Kenya's diplomacy were the specific objectives. The study offers a springboard through which the government of Kenya can review the STI policy and strengthen the links between the STI institutional programs and the diplomacy for national economic growth. The study was grounded on institutional theory and positioning theory. A cross-sectional pragmatic research approach was used in this study. 30 experts from important organizations, including NACOSTI, KeNIA, The National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), comprised the target population. Technical University of Kenya and Kenyatta University.
Purposive sampling was used to select the study sample. Data was collected through semi structure questionnaires and interview guides. Secondary data was obtained from cases studies, journals and STI publications based on document analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. The narratives of the respondents were evaluated, and important themes were developed, using a qualitative inductive approach. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, and tables and charts were used to present the findings. The study established emerging STI trends, such as new technologies, Block-chain, IoT, AI, nanotechnology, big data and quantum technologies are being utilized under various missions and actors. In the health sector, vaccine research through bilateral relationships while GMO advances being riven by agricultural biotechnology to promote ttechnology transfer and strategic partnerships between Kenya and other developed nations. The study also found that STI is crucial for fostering bilateral scientific collaborations that support economic development, especially in the agricultural, energy, education, and health sectors. Furthermore, through international collaborations in green energy technology, STI has provided Kenya with a roadmap for its foreign policy decisions for the exploitation of research and development initiatives. The study revealed that there are gaps in policy, despite the fact that the relationship between STI and diplomacy has been used as a strategy to support national technical transfer and innovation systems. The study found out that STI Act in Kenya has not been overly effective in promoting Kenya’s diplomacy. STI policy still exist in draft format and suffers from weak collaborations across the various bodies that work in silos. The study recommended the need to launch capacity-building centers as an eye-opener for relevant government agencies to utilize the expertise and knowledge resources of the current STI trends. It also recommended the need for commissioning an STI policy agency at the MFA to support bilateral cooperation in areas, including education, energy and health. Future research regarding the spectrum of STI and diplomacy could explore the link between STI and human as well as global security dimensions and how they influence diplomacy.