Kenya is
bidding farewell to five senior European diplomats whose tours of duty in
Nairobi have come to an end.
Their tours
of duty coincided with one of the most consequential periods in relations
between Nairobi and the European Union, following the signing of the landmark
Economic Partnership Agreement.
The EU
Delegation hosted a farewell cocktail on Wednesday to honour outgoing
ambassadors Christian Fellner of Austria, Peter Maddens of Belgium, Savvas
Vladimirou of Cyprus, Arnaud Suquet of France and Ambassador Henriette Geiger
of the EU.
The event
attracted senior government officials, politicians and members of the
diplomatic corps.
Foreign
Affairs PS Korir Sing’oei, who represented CS Musalia Mudavadi, described the
EU as one of Kenya’s closest strategic partners.
Korir said
the EU cooperation has expanded through political dialogue, trade, investment
and implementation of the EPA.
“The
Excellencies concluding their assignments have served with distinction, helping
elevate our bilateral relations through dialogue, trust and genuine
friendship,” Sing’oei said.
He
separately praised Belgian Ambassador Peter Maddens for strengthening bilateral
cooperation in trade, education, green growth and sustainable development.
“Amb
Maddens’ tireless efforts have led to deepening Kenya-Belgium bilateral ties,
particularly in trade and investment, education, sustainable development, green
initiatives and people-to-people connections,” Korir said.
“His
personal ties to Kenya, spanning decades, have further enriched our
partnership.”
Environment
CS Deborah Barasa said Kenya’s environmental cooperation with the EU had
yielded measurable progress in forest restoration, biodiversity conservation,
renewable energy, climate adaptation and sustainable agriculture.
She thanked
the outgoing ambassadors for advancing Kenya’s climate agenda, while welcoming
continued collaboration with their successors.
“Our
partnership has delivered impactful progress across forest landscape
restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, renewable energy,
sustainable agriculture and green investment,” she said.
Wiper
leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who attended the event, said the ambassadors had
strengthened friendship and mutual respect between Kenya and Europe.
He paid
special tribute to Amb Geiger, describing her tenure as the culmination of an
accomplished diplomatic career that left “a lasting imprint” on Kenya–EU
relations.
“As they
take up new assignments and embrace new chapters, we extend our sincere
appreciation for their service and wish them every success ahead, confident
that the friendships and partnerships forged will continue to flourish,”
Kalonzo said.
In earlier
farewell meetings, Mudavadi hailed the departing ambassadors for leaving
behind a legacy of stronger partnerships that have translated into tangible
benefits for Kenya.
He said
diplomacy should be judged not merely by the agreements reached but by the
lasting opportunities and relationships it creates for citizens, noting that
the envoys had played a pivotal role in deepening Kenya’s engagement with their
respective countries and the EU.
Paying
tribute to Austrian Ambassador Christian Fellner, Mudavadi credited him with
helping elevate Kenya-Austria relations through expanded cooperation in trade,
sustainable development, education, labour mobility, peace and security.
He
particularly praised Ambassador Fellner’s contribution to the Kenya–Austria MoU
on Labour and Migration Cooperation. He described it as a landmark agreement
that is already opening employment opportunities for skilled Kenyans,
especially healthcare professionals taking up jobs in Austria.
Mudavadi
also commended Amb Geiger for strengthening one of Kenya’s most important
strategic partnerships, highlighting her role in operationalising the Kenya–EU
EPA deal.
He said the
EPA framework is creating new opportunities for Kenyan exporters,
manufacturers, farmers and investors by expanding access to one of the world’s
largest consumer markets, while also enhancing the country’s global
competitiveness.
Reflecting
on the ambassadors’ broader legacy, Mudavadi noted that their tenure coincided
with the Golden Jubilee of Kenya–EU relations, marking 50 years since the
establishment of the EU Delegation in Nairobi.
He
reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to building on the strong foundation laid during
their service by expanding cooperation in trade, investment, innovation,
climate action, education and skills development, saying these partnerships
would continue to create jobs, attract investment and deliver lasting economic
and social benefits for Kenyans.
The
departure of the five ambassadors comes at a time when Kenya is deepening
engagement with Europe on trade, labour migration, climate finance, digital
transformation and regional peace and security.
Their
successors are expected to build on partnerships that have increasingly shifted
from traditional development cooperation towards investment, trade, skills
mobility and green economic transformation.
