Authors : Evans Momanyi Getembe

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/yv2fmspv

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/me7a2kw2

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun204

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : The blue economy initiative in Kenya has repositioned maritime infrastructure as both a development strategy and a tool of regional diplomacy. While maritime diplomacy scholarship traditionally focuses on oceanic and naval domains, inland water systems remain underexplored as arenas of diplomatic engagement. This study examined how Kenya’s investments in inland maritime infrastructure on Lake Victoria contribute to regional cooperation within the East African Community framework. This exploratory study utilized the qualitative-dominant case study methodology to gather information using semistructured interviews of purposively chosen officials from county administrations, maritime administration, transport operators, and regional institutions in the counties of Kisumu and Homa Bay. Regional cooperation was measured based on factors like cargo throughput, policy harmonization, institutional coordination through the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, and stakeholder involvement in cross-border transport plans. It was found out that the expansion of Kisumu Port and inland transport corridors increased the economic dependence of riparian states, facilitated environmental governance coordination, and promoted multi-level diplomatic engagement outside foreign policy institutions at the national level. Such improvements indicate that inland maritime infrastructure can be used for infrastructure-based maritime diplomacy by raising exit costs among the states sharing inland waters and strengthening mechanisms of cooperative governance. The current paper contributes to maritime diplomacy scholarship through an application of Complex Interdependence Theory to inland freshwater systems.

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