Col Esther Wanjiku ends tour as Kenya’s Defence Attaché to Japan, succeeded by Col Joan Kwambai

Kenya's former military spokesperson, Colonel Esther Wanjiku, has completed her tour of duty as defence attaché in Japan, handing over to Air Force Colonel Joan Kwambai.

"Diplomatic service is a career for all seasons, in every season," wrote Moi Lemoshira, Kenya's ambassador to Japan, in a farewell post.

"Thank you, Col Esther Barbara Wanjiku, for your unprecedented pathfinder role," he added, welcoming Col Kwambai to the embassy in Tokyo.

Colonel Wanjiku, who arrived in late 2022 as Kenya's inaugural defence attaché to Japan, was also accredited to Seoul, South Korea.

Before her appointment, she served as spokesperson for the Kenya Defence Forces, where she helped shape the military's modern public-affairs posture.

Her reassignment follows standard military protocol: attachés typically return to headquarters after a tour to allow rotation.

While her next posting remains unannounced, she leaves behind a well-established framework for Kenya's defence diplomacy in East Asia.

A defence attaché's role blends diplomacy with intelligence. They represent their country's military interests abroad, advise the ambassador on security matters, and manage cooperation between armed forces.

They also advance defence industry ties and act as the formal bridge between the militaries of the two nations.

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