NAIROBI, Kenya- The United States Senate has confirmed career diplomat Henry Wooster as Washington’s next ambassador to Kenya, filling a senior diplomatic post that had been vacant since Meg Whitman left in November 2024.
The Senate approved Wooster’s nomination by voice vote on Wednesday, September 30, according to the official record.
President Donald Trump nominated him for the post.
Wooster’s confirmation comes as Kenya approaches the August 2027 General Election and the two countries manage a broad relationship spanning security, trade, technology and investment.
Wooster says US will not take sides in election
During his confirmation hearing, Wooster said Washington’s focus during Kenya’s election period would be stability and a peaceful process, not support for any candidate or political party.
“We are not picking sides,” he told senators.
The incoming envoy said the US would be watching for stability and an absence of violence.
His comments come as Kenyan political activity builds ahead of the 2027 polls.
Wooster is expected to arrive in Nairobi in mid-November or early December, citing a diplomatic source.
A career diplomat with security experience
Wooster is a career member of the US Senior Foreign Service, with the rank of Minister-Counselor. Before joining the Foreign Service, he served as an officer in the US Army and Army Reserve.
In his September 16 confirmation statement, he said his public service had spanned more than four decades.
He was US ambassador to Jordan from 2020 to 2023 and most recently served as chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Haiti.
His previous assignments have included senior roles in Washington and diplomatic postings in Paris, Islamabad, Iraq, Iran, Russia, NATO and Georgia.
Wooster said his time in Haiti gave him a close view of Kenya’s role in international security, through the deployment of Kenyan police officers to the Multinational Security Support Mission.
Trade, investment and security on the agenda
In his written remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Wooster said his priorities in Kenya would include deepening economic ties while maintaining security cooperation.
He pointed to Kenya’s technology sector, entrepreneurship and potential for expanded US trade and investment.
The Senate hearing also highlighted issues that could shape his work in Nairobi, including the future of US foreign assistance and health funding, regional security, and Kenya’s relations with China.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen said the next ambassador would arrive as the US mission navigated changes to foreign assistance and uncertainty over health programmes.
Wooster described Kenya as a key US partner in East Africa, citing its role in counterterrorism and regional stability.
His confirmation restores a Senate-approved ambassador to the Nairobi post as the two governments continue cooperation on security and economic matters.
