President William Ruto appears to be following in the footsteps of his predecessor in recent appointments of envoys.
Like retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto has overlooked career diplomats and instead opted for political appointees to project the country's image in foreign lands.
On Wednesday, President Ruto nominated and redeployed 31 ambassadors and high commissioners – the first shakeup in the diplomatic front since he took power.
The head of state also appointed 14 deputy ambassadors.
From the 31 ambassadors and high commissioners, only 12 are career diplomats.
Among the 14 deputy ambassadors, career diplomats are six, with the bulk being political appointees.
In ambassadorial nomination, career diplomats include Tabu Irina (Dublin Ireland), Philip Githiora (Maputo), Isaac Keen Parashina (Nigeria), Betty Chebet (France), Fredrick Musambili (Rome), Angeline Kavindu (Sweden) and Stella Orina (Germany).
In the changes announced on Wednesday, Ambassador Chebet was sent to the Kenyan Embassy in France while Orina has been reassigned to the embassy in Berlin, Germany.
In the reshuffle which was initiated in line with Article 132 (2)(e) of the Constitution, Willy Betty moved from India to Beijing as the new High Commissioner in China.
George Morara to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while Philip Mudian has been sent to Maputo, Zanzibar.
Parashina has been sent to Abuja, Nigeria, Musambili to Rome, Italy and Kavindu has been stationed in Stockholm, Sweden.
High commissioners moved include Jane Wairimu (Pretoria, South Africa), Col Rtd Shem Amadi (Kinshasa, DRC), Sabdio Dido (Gaborone, Botswana), Jeremy Nyamasyo (Juba, South Sudan), Jeremy Laibuttah (Khartoum, Sudan), George Macgoye (Djibouti) and Joyce Khasimwa (Luanda, Angola).
Others are Janet Mwawasi (Kigali, Rwanda), Kiringo Kubai (Mogadishu, Somalia), Mercy Mueni (Arusha, Tanzania), Abdi Weli (Hargeisa, Somalia), Fouzia Abdirahman (Bern, Switzerland), Sharon Ole Sein (Madrid, Spain), Maurice Makoloo (Vienna, Austria), and Prof Peter Ngure has been redeployed as the new head of mission, Unesco in Paris, France.
Other envoys affected in the reshuffle include Peter Munyiri who now becomes the new High Commissioner to New Delhi, India, Emmy Jerono (Seoul, South Korea), John Ekitela (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Wilson Kogo (Canberra, Australia), Mohamed Ramadhan (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), Lt Gen Albert Kendagor (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Mohamed Nor Adan (Doha, Qatar).
Ruto also made 14 appointments for office holders as deputy ambassadors.
They include James Waweru (Geneva, Switzerland), Kasera Achayo (Paris, France), Edwin Afande (London, UK), Valerie Rugene (Berlin, Germany), Irene Maswan (Moscow, Russia) and Daniel Cheruiyot,(Brussels, Belgium).
Among the career diplomats who landed deputy ambassadors are Waweru, Afande, Jackline Moraa Kenani and Arthur Andambi.
