Kenya appoints Severine Luyali as new Chief of Protocol
Among her chief responsibilities is ensuring that no moment of embarrassment befalls the President or the First Lady — whether it's a misplaced flag, a seating oversight, or an unreciprocated handshake.
Kenya has appointed Severine Luyali as its new Chief of Protocol, a crucial yet often understated role in the architecture of statecraft.
Her appointment highlights Nairobi's effort to refine its diplomatic presentation and avoid the small, symbolic missteps that can embarrass a nation before the world.
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Among her chief responsibilities is ensuring that no moment of embarrassment befalls the President or the First Lady — whether it's a misplaced flag, a seating oversight, or an unreciprocated handshake.
The position demands meticulous attention to detail, a mastery of nuance, and the kind of quiet firmness that defines success in diplomacy.
President William Ruto, on several foreign trips, has faced such protocol lapses, including incidents where the Kenyan flag appeared upside down.
Luyali's appointment signals a push to restore precision and polish to Kenya's ceremonial and diplomatic engagements.
She succeeds Henry Wambuma, who proceeds to Bujumbura as Kenya's ambassador.
A career diplomat with 25 years of experience, Luyali brings a deep understanding of institutional structures and a seasoned hand in international engagement, according to the foreign affairs ministry.
"Congratulations, Severine Luyali, on your promotion to Chief of Protocol. You have our full support," wrote Foreign Affairs PS Korir Sing'oei on X.
Her deputy, Samson Koech, praised the outgoing chief and assured Luyali of the department's full cooperation.
Though rarely in the spotlight, the Chief of Protocol remains one of diplomacy's indispensable figures, coordinating presidential travel, receiving foreign dignitaries, and advising on matters as delicate as gift selection and seating order.
The office also oversees the accreditation of foreign ambassadors, often making the Chief of Protocol the first Kenyan face new envoys encounter.
While Kenya's exact date for establishing the post remains unclear, it has long been a formal fixture within the Foreign Office — one that keeps the machinery of diplomacy turning smoothly, ensuring that national pride is never compromised by procedural error.
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