President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi. /PCSPresident William Ruto has made a fresh round of appointments to Kenya’s foreign service, consuls, and foreign missions following approvals by Parliament.
In a gazette notice dated October 3, the President named nine individuals to serve as High Commissioners, Ambassadors, and Consuls General in Kenya’s missions abroad.
The appointments were made in line with Article 132 (2)(e) of the Constitution.
Those picked as ambassadors include Anthony Mwaniki Muchiri, Lucy Kiruthu, Joseph Musyoka Masila, and Edwin Afande.
Muchiri will head to Ankara, Turkey, while Kiruthu takes up a posting in Bangkok, Thailand.
Former Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Chepngetich Bore was named Kenya’s High Commissioner to Namibia.
Others appointed as High Commissioners and Consuls General are Henry Wambuma, Abdirashid Salat Abdille, Jayne Jepkorir Toroitich and Judy Kiaria Nkumiri.
Jepkorir will take charge of the consulate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Bore’s nomination to Windhoek is seen as placing her in a strategic position to deepen bilateral ties with Namibia and the wider Southern African region.
Her experience as a Cabinet Secretary is expected to strengthen Kenya’s diplomatic engagement in an area that is increasingly important for trade, labour mobility, and regional cooperation.
She had served in Ruto’s first Cabinet as Labour and Social Protection CS following the line-up announced in September 2022.
However, she was excluded from the new Cabinet unveiled on July 11, 2024, when Ruto dissolved and reconstituted his team at the height of the Gen Z protests.
State House had explained at the time of her nomination, announced on August 15, that the changes were part of a wider strategy to enhance service delivery and boost Kenya’s diplomatic footprint abroad under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
The appointments bring together seasoned administrators and new faces expected to advance Kenya’s political and economic interests overseas.
The reshuffle comes at a time when Nairobi is seeking to cement its role in global trade, strengthen security partnerships, and champion regional integration.
The envoys are expected to translate the goals of BETA into tangible diplomatic outcomes by managing bilateral relations, attracting investment, promoting technology transfer, and building strategic partnerships that align with Kenya’s development priorities.
Through the new appointments, the administration has signalled its intention to re-energise the foreign service and position Kenya as a more assertive player in international affairs.
In the same gazette issue, Ruto has appointed John Cox Lorionokou as the new Registrar of Political Parties.
The notice indicated that Lorionokou will serve for a non-renewable term of six years.
