Ruto’s envoy shake-up: Diplomatic appointees stuck in limbo amid quiet reassignments
Some envoys have been quietly reassigned, while others remain in limbo, underscoring persistent administrative confusion within Nairobi’s foreign service.
Several of President William Ruto’s diplomatic appointees, particularly deputy heads of mission and consuls general, have yet to assume their posts despite being vetted and approved by the National Assembly, exposing apparent coordination gaps between the State House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Some envoys have been quietly reassigned, while others remain in limbo, underscoring persistent administrative confusion within Nairobi’s foreign service.
The delays come amid an ongoing reshuffle that has blurred the line between political appointments and professional diplomacy.
Among those redeployed is Grace Okara, Kenya’s former permanent representative to UN-Habitat, who served just seven months before being reassigned to Lusaka, Zambia, as Deputy Head of Mission.
Okara, an accomplished economist who impressed lawmakers during her April 2024 vetting, now serves under Lilian Tomitom, the former West Pokot woman representative. Tomitom, who struggled to articulate Kenya’s strategic interests in Zambia during her confirmation hearing, is now Nairobi’s top diplomat in Lusaka.
Not reported for duty
Meanwhile, Abdi Dubat Fidhow, a former Principal Secretary for the East African Community, was redeployed to Arusha as consul general earlier this year and approved by Parliament in March. Yet, he has not reported for duty.
His posting has since been thrown into question after President Ruto demoted Kenya’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Ruwange, and reassigned him to the same role. Despite his recall, Ruwange recently presented his credentials to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, further complicating Nairobi’s diplomatic order of operations.
Another case is that of Alfred K’Ombudo, the former Principal Secretary for Trade, who was demoted to Deputy Head of Mission in Brussels. He, too, has not reported to post, having instead been quietly moved to State House as the President’s Advisor on Trade Policy and Commercial Diplomacy—a position he now lists on his X profile.
Diplomatic observers say the reshuffles reflect a deeper structural problem: the politicisation of Kenya’s foreign service. As President Ruto seeks to align his foreign policy with a new generation of loyalists, Kenya’s missions abroad are increasingly caught between political patronage and professional diplomacy.
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