Kenya rises in global peace ranking as worldwide conflicts reach record high

Australian High Commissioner to Kenya Andrew Barnes during the launch of the 2026 Global Peace Index at the Australian Embassy on September 17, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

Global peace has deteriorated in 99 countries this year, the highest number recorded in the 20-year history of the Global Peace Index, as the number of active conflicts reaches its highest level since the end of the Second World War.

The 2026 Global Peace Index, launched in Nairobi, says peacefulness has declined for the 12th consecutive year, with more countries now involved in conflicts beyond their borders.

Kenya, however, improved its position, ranking 132nd out of 163 countries and territories, although the report warns that the country’s stability remains increasingly tied to developments beyond its borders.

The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which produces the annual index, said conflicts in Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan and Somalia are increasingly interconnected, creating wider security and economic risks across East Africa.

IEP Founder and Executive Chairman Steve Killelea said the Horn of Africa now functions as an interconnected conflict system, with Kenya exposed to trade and debt pressures arising from instability in the region.

“Kenya’s experience is a reminder that no country's peace can be considered separately from its region, or the wider world,” Killelea said.

The report links conflicts in the Horn of Africa through refugee movements, illicit financial flows, external actors, cross-border insecurity and economic disruption.

It also highlights growing threats to humanitarian personnel, with more than 300 deaths reported in 2025, alongside increasing restrictions on humanitarian access.

Acting Australian High Commissioner to Kenya Andrew Barnes said events occurring far beyond national borders could quickly affect security, livelihoods and economic stability at home.

“The Global Peace Index remains one of the world’s most important tools for understanding peace, not simply as the absence of violence, but as a foundation for prosperity, resilience and human progress,” Barnes said.

The index also examines how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are transforming warfare and raising questions around human agency, accountability and respect for international humanitarian principles.

Barnes said preventing conflict before it escalates requires stronger international institutions, regional cooperation and sustained investment in peacebuilding.

Kenya has continued to play a role in regional peace and security through mediation, humanitarian assistance, peace operations and regional organizations.

Australia said it has provided more than AU$110 million in humanitarian assistance across the Horn of Africa since 2022.

This year, Australia committed AUD4 million to the UNHCR to support Kenya’s Shirika Plan and more than AUD60 million to the OCHA Sudan Humanitarian Fund for conflict-affected populations.

Australia is also supporting a new short course on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, in partnership with Curtin University, bringing together practitioners from government institutions across East Africa to examine emerging security threats and prevention approaches.

The 2026 edition marks the 20th anniversary of the Global Peace Index, which ranks 163 countries and territories and examines the drivers of peace, conflict and resilience.

The Nairobi launch brought together government officials, diplomats, security actors, UN agencies, academia, civil society and private-sector representatives to examine the implications of the findings for Kenya and the wider region.