Last of Uhuru's ambassadors end their tours as Ruto's foreign service shake-up continues

Last of Uhuru's ambassadors end their tours as Ruto's foreign service shake-up continues

Former ICT permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo prepares to leave Brussels, where he has been ambassador to Belgium and the EU.

The last of Uhuru Kenyatta's ambassadors have wound up their tours, closing a chapter in Kenya's foreign service as President William Ruto continues his reshuffle.

In Ankara, Leornard Boiyo, appointed by Uhuru Kenyatta in April 2022, just months before the change of guard in Nairobi, ended his three-year posting, where he was also accredited to Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

"As my tour of duty in Türkiye draws to a close, the African Diplomatic Corps in Ankara today hosted a farewell lunch in my honour," Boiyo wrote on X, reflecting on "friendship, support and collaboration."

He will be replaced by Anthony Mwaniki Muchiri, the former Public Service Commission chief, as Kenya looks to deepen defence and security ties with Turkey.

Elsewhere, former ICT permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo prepares to leave Brussels, where he has been ambassador to Belgium and the EU.

His exit comes just as Nairobi and Brussels signed an Economic Partnership Agreement granting Kenya duty- and quota-free access to European markets, a parting note that highlights his tenure's trade focus.

In Dar es Salaam, Isaac Njenga also bows out after three years in a posting that has long mirrored the "love-hate" tenor of Kenya-Tanzania relations.

Michael Sialai departs from Windhoek, Namibia, where his successor will be former labour minister Florence Bore.

Ambassadors serve at the discretion of Kenya's president, and Ruto's latest moves close out the Kenyatta cycle, replacing political appointees with a fresh mix of career diplomats and allies.

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