Describe the relationship that Starr and Kenya have.

In The Hate U Give, Starr and Kenya’s relationship appears to be perplexing; nonetheless, the girls maintain a mutual respect based on the affiliations they have. Their strongest affiliation is the brother they share, Seven. The relationship between the girls becomes complicated based on the varying viewpoints of parental influence. Although the girls live in the same “hood”, they are essentially from different worlds. Staar’s father, a former drug dealer who “worked for King” served time for his crimes. He has now reformed his life and is considered a pillar of the community. On the other hand, Kenya’s father, King is the community drug lord and has yet to change is life. These factors complicate Starr and Kenya's relationship.
Despite, these undesirable truths, Staar and Kenya appear to display alliance to each other due to their unique connection. The movie portrays both girls as powerful and influential in their own right. Their ability to connect to each other in various situations allows them to “care” for each other under the most undesirable circumstances.
In particular, during the house party scene, Kenya clearly corrects another acquaintance at the party by clarifying that “Starr” is NOT her sister, even though they share a brother. Yet, minutes later as the crowd dispersed due to violence erupting at the party, Starr receives a text from Kenya checking to ensure her safety. Throughout the movie, one can see the allegiance they share based on the commonalities of family and friendship.

Kenya and Starr have a complex dynamic.
At first glance, their relationship seems simple. Although Starr has ventured outside of Garden Heights to attend a private prep school, Kenya is one of the few people in "the Garden" that Starr remains close to. The girls are close in age and stay friends even though they live drastically different "school lives."
Their relationship complicates when you consider their family ties. They share a half brother, Seven, as Seven and Starr share a father and Seven and Kenya share a mother. This means that the girls aren't actually blood-related in any way, but they still have a cousin-like connection. Starr sometimes feels jealous of Kenya's relation to Seven, as "sharing" her brother can prove difficult.
Just as Kenya represents the "side" of Seven that ties him to the Garden, she represents a person that Starr could be if her life were only slightly different. Kenya has few opportunities, an abusive father, and a mother who is undependable at best. Starr could have been in the same boat if her parents were only slightly different.
Finally, Kenya serves as a catalyst for the entire plot, as she is the character who "drags" Starr to the party in the exposition. Without Kenya, Starr wouldn't have been at the party, she wouldn't have left with Khalil, and the entire plot of the book may not have happened.