NAIROBI — President William Ruto has appointed nine new envoys to represent Kenya abroad, a move aimed at strengthening the country’s diplomatic footprint.
The list, published in a special Gazette notice on Thursday, includes former Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore, who has been named High Commissioner to Namibia.
Others in the group are Anthony Mwaniki Muchiri, who will serve as ambassador to Turkey; Lucy Kiruthu to Thailand; and Henry Wambuma to Burundi. Additional postings include Abdirashid Salat Abdille to Indonesia, Joseph Musyoka Masila to Saudi Arabia, and Edwin Afande to Austria.
Two Consuls-General were also confirmed: Jayne Jepkorir in Dubai and Judy Kiaria Nkumiri in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.
The appointments follow Parliament’s approval last month after vetting by the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee. The panel said all nine nominees had met the required standards of academic qualifications, professional competence and integrity.
Florence Bore, who left the Cabinet earlier this year, will be among the most high-profile appointees. Her shift from domestic politics to diplomacy highlights the administration’s growing reliance on experienced politicians and technocrats to fill key foreign service roles.
“The nominees have demonstrated the capacity to represent Kenya’s interests abroad,” the committee noted in its report to Parliament.
The postings come as Kenya seeks to deepen trade ties, attract foreign investment and position itself more prominently in global affairs. Analysts say the new envoys will face the challenge of balancing traditional bilateral relationships with Kenya’s push for influence in emerging markets.
For Ruto, the appointments mark another step in shaping a foreign policy team that reflects both loyalty to his administration and the country’s wider strategic ambitions.
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