Diplomatic Missions Policies and Economic Integration in East Africa: A Case of Rwanda and Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine the Diplomatic Missions Policies and Economic Integration in East Africa, a case study of Rwanda-Kenya. The study was guided with three specific objectives which are to examine the influence of embassies on economic integration, to assess the effect of professionalizing economic diplomacy on economic integration, and to analyze the relationship between diplomatic mission’s policies and economic integration in East Africa, Rwanda-Kenya. The descriptive research design with a mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches was applied. Findings were collected using the questionnaire. The target population was 62 employees of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MINAFFET) in department of diplomatic missions and Kenya Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda. The census method was used where all population was considered as sample size. The collected findings were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis with using of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26.0. The inferential statistics were presented for presenting the relationship between variables. The results were presented in tables using the frequencies, means, and standard deviation. The findings were analyzed, presented, and interpreted. On the influence of embassies on economic integration, The overall means of results was 4.482 that was between agree (4) and strongly agree (5), it presented that the embassies was significantly influenced economic integration. On the effect of professionalizing economic diplomacy on economic integration, the overall means of results was 4.472 that was between agree (4) and strongly agree (5), it presented that there was significantly effect of professionalizing economic diplomacy on economic integration. The findings analysis resulted that the relationship between (influence of embassies and effect of professionalizing economic diplomacy) and economic integration was .905** and .790** respectively. It was indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between the diplomatic mission’s policies and economic integration. The results presented that the variables were statistically significant with regression mean square of 8.669 and residual mean square was 0.064 while F=136.045 and P-value =.000, it confirmed that there was a significant relationship between the diplomatic missions policies and economic integration in East Africa, Rwanda-Kenya. Researcher recommended that government administrations (MINAFFET) should continue to develop and promote the economic diplomacy, social interests and core values in collaboration of international business, and the citizens should look for the investments developing their business based on the diplomatic missions’ policies. Keywords: Diplomatic Missions Policies, Economic Integration, East Africa, Rwanda