Britain’s High Commissioner Neil Wigan to leave Kenya amid ongoing diplomatic challenges
On Monday, London announced that Wigan will return home to serve as Director-General for Strategy and Delivery at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Neil Wigan, Britain’s High Commissioner to Kenya, is preparing to leave Nairobi after less than two years in the role.
On Monday, London announced that he will return home to serve as Director-General for Strategy and Delivery at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
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Though his tenure was shorter than the usual four years, it was far from uneventful.
His time in Kenya coincided with King Charles III’s landmark state visit—the first by a British monarch since independence—and the signing of a new Kenya–UK strategic partnership.
'Whirlwind'
Wigan, who previously served as ambassador to Israel, described his posting in Kenya as a “whirlwind,” highlighting the strengthening ties in trade, investment, technology, and culture.
However, his stay also involved navigating one of the most persistent sources of tension: allegations of impunity for British troops based at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) in Nanyuki, Laikipia.
The unresolved murder of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman allegedly killed by British soldiers in 2012, remains a painful issue.
Kenya’s Parliament has approved a formal inquiry into crimes attributed to British soldiers—including sexual assault, environmental damage, and unlawful killings—but the report is long overdue.
Alleged rape
In May, a British soldier was arrested in Nanyuki for an alleged rape but was quietly flown back to the UK.
While the 2021 Defence Cooperation Agreement technically grants Kenyan courts jurisdiction over crimes such as rape, torture, and national security offences, enforcement has been difficult.
Successive high commissioners have left without delivering justice or significant reforms, and Wigan now joins that list.
In his farewell remarks, President William Ruto praised the “cordial, strong, and deep” ties between the two countries, citing cooperation in prosperity, security, stability, and climate action.
He made no mention of the colonial legacies and ongoing grievances that continue to strain the relationship.
London remains a vital diplomatic and economic partner for Nairobi.
Wigan’s successor will inherit a relationship strengthened by strategic partnership agreements but still overshadowed by the same complex issues—issues that have outlasted many British envoys and may well persist beyond the next.
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