How global power shifts are rewriting Kenya and Africa’s role

The world is changing, and not quietly. How global power shifts are rewriting Kenya and Africa’s role? Global powers are competing for influence, wars are reshaping alliances, and countries that once dominated international affairs are finding their influence increasingly challenged. Meanwhile, emerging powers are demanding a seat at the table, while regions like Africa are increasingly being asked to choose sides in contests they did not create. Against this backdrop, at least 21 participants gathered for the inaugural edition of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) Nairobi Geopolitical Academy from May 6 to 9 to examine one of the defining questions of our time: What does a changing world order mean for Kenya and Africa?

Geopolitical strategist Velina Tchakarova set the tone for the discussions. "We are in a very difficult situation due to the uncertainty brought on by global conflicts," she said. The rise of middle powers, China's growing influence and the relative decline of Western dominance have accelerated the shift toward a multipolar world, where power is distributed among several major actors rather than concentrated in a few capitals. "The question is not whether a new world order will emerge," Tchakarova told participants. "The real question is whether you will be positioned within it, or left outside looking in." Her remarks resonated with a question posed by one of the participants. “Is Africa truly benefiting from growing interest by powers such as China, Russia and the United States, or is it merely becoming a stage for competing global agendas?”

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