Anglophonic Variants: Kenya versus Tanzania

The East African countries of Kenya and Tanzania provide an interesting comparative context for examining the evolution of African foreign relations. In the past decade both countries have significantly broadened the range of issues on their foreign policy agendas in response to changes in both regional and international environments. Tanzania has shifted its trade and aid relations away from the European powers and has become heavily involved in the diplomacy surrounding southern African conflicts. Kenya has become a significant exporter of goods to other Third World countries. Relations between the two countries deteriorated sharply in the latter 1970s, but, since 1983, have entered a new period of cooperation. Tanzania has maintained a policy of strict nonalignment, while Kenya has developed close strategic ties to the United States. International financial institutions, especially the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have been increasingly involved in both countries. IMF relations with Tanzania have been highly conflictual; Kenyan-IMF relations, while cordial, have also had their problems. In sum, both countries have been relatively successful in utilizing foreign relations to promote national goals.