Strategic Partnerships and Kenya’s National Security: Assessing the Role of the National Defence College in Advancing Defence Diplomacy, 2020–2025

The evolving nature of contemporary security challenges has increased the importance of strategic military education in preparing national security leaders capable of addressing complex and multidimensional threats. National Defence Colleges (NDC) have increasingly transformed from traditional military training institutions into strategic platforms for developing senior leadership, strengthening civil-military relations, and enhancing defence diplomacy. This study examined the role of the NDC Kenya in advancing national security priorities, with particular focus on the alignment of its educational programmes with Kenya’s security strategy, foreign policy objectives, and emerging security challenges. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, integrating quantitative data from structured questionnaires with qualitative insights from interviews and document analysis involving military officers, NDC alumni, government officials, and defence experts. The findings revealed that the NDC has made significant contributions to strategic leadership development, interdisciplinary engagement, and international defence cooperation. A majority of respondents considered the College’s curriculum relevant to Kenya’s security priorities, particularly in areas such as counterterrorism, regional security, maritime security, and emerging domains including cyber threats. However, the study identified institutional limitations, including weak curriculum feedback mechanisms, inadequate performance measurement frameworks, limited stakeholder participation, and the absence of a formally articulated grand strategy to guide long-term institutional alignment. The study argues that while the NDC has developed into an important centre for strategic thought and military diplomacy, its impact can be enhanced through stronger integration with national security planning frameworks, improved curriculum governance, and expanded engagement with regional and international security institutions. The study contributes to scholarship on professional military education by demonstrating how strategic education institutions can serve as instruments for national security policy development and defence diplomacy in Africa.

Strategic military education; National Defence College Kenya; national security; defence diplomacy; strategic leadership; professional military education; grand strategy

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