NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 21 — President William Ruto has sanctioned changes within Kenya’s Foreign Service, reassigning senior diplomats to new postings following the completion of terms by serving ambassadors.
In a notification issued by the Executive Office of the President, Ababu Namwamba has been reassigned as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Kampala, Uganda, while Ambassador Joash Maangi has been posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he will also represent Kenya to the European Union.
The changes, which take effect immediately, were announced through Notification of Presidential Action No. II of 2026 and signed by Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.
“The changes are necessitated by vacancies arising from the completion of the terms of service of serving ambassadors,” Koskei said.
Namwamba’s new posting comes barely a year after President Ruto posted him as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON).
In that role, Namwamba represented Kenya at the global environmental bodies headquartered in Nairobi, engaging on issues of climate action, sustainable development and multilateral environmental governance.
Before his diplomatic appointment, Namwamba served as Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, the Creative Economy and Sports. He exited the Cabinet following a reshuffle prompted by nationwide anti-government protests and was subsequently redeployed to the foreign service.
With the latest changes, Namwamba takes over the Kampala posting from Ambassador Joash Maangi, who has served as Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda since 2024.
Maangi’s reassignment to Brussels places him at the centre of Kenya’s engagement with the European Union, one of the country’s key trading partners and development allies.
