Managing security in a changing international environment: a case study of Kenya 2000 - 2014

Abstract

The end of the cold war had remarkable changes in the political, economic, social and cultural structure of the international system. Africa's current security challenges are rather complex, some are predominantly governance-related or intra-state conflicts, while the continent's ill-defined national borders remain a potent source of instability. This study aims to explore the changes in the international security arena have had in the management of security in Africa with a focus on Kenya. The study seeks to identify challenges occasioned by the security scenario and their effect on management of security. This study aims to contribute to effective policy making informed by provision of new understanding on the changes in the international security arena and how they impact on the management of security in Africa. The study utilized a triangulation of explanatory and case study research designs. The research relied on both quantitative and qualitative research techniques given that the study basically be relied on the views of those involved in the management of security. Specifically the study used the neo-realist approach to security which has also been christened the new security thinking. The collected data was sorted and analysed using document analysis and thematic analysis techniques, based on the emerging issues under study. Globalization has been the most important feature in transforming the international security landscape. Some scholars argue that defining something as a security issue might actually be counter-productive or even dangerous in that it legitimizes the suspension of civil liberties. The definition of human security is expansive and there is no one definition that has been agreed upon. One of the failures of traditional notion of security has been the inability to incorporate insecurity faced by people in day to day life. The other issue that affects security definitions today is intra-state conflict. The military might is declining in importance, with the modern era showing a steady drop in interstate war and a sharp increase in intrastate conflict.The literature reviewed concludes that African state capacities and societal conflicts appears more promising in terms of generating valuable insights into these issues than the literature which views them strictly through a lens of migration security, energy security or environmental security. The general objective was to explore the impact changes in the international security arena have in the management of security in Kenya. A total of 35 respondents successfully completed the questionnaire(s) out of the 50 originally administered for the study. On the changes in the international environment giving rise to new forms and sources of insecurity – majority (85%) of the respondents were in agreement, (10%) were in disagreement and (5%) were still undecided.