Namwamba appointed Kenya’s High Commissioner to Uganda

By Newsflash Reporter

Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and former Budalangi MP, Ababu Namwamba, has been reassigned to Kampala as the country’s new High Commissioner to Uganda.

The move was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei.

According to the statement, President William Ruto approved a raft of changes within Kenya’s Foreign Service following the expiry of terms for several serving ambassadors and heads of mission.

The reassignments, Koskei noted, were part of routine diplomatic rotations aimed at ensuring continuity and effectiveness in Kenya’s representation abroad. The changes took effect immediately upon approval by the President.

Namwamba, who has been Kenya’s envoy to UNEP based in Nairobi, will now take up the Kampala posting, replacing Ambassador Joash Maangi, who has been serving in Uganda since 2024. Uganda remains a key diplomatic and economic partner for Kenya, making the Kampala mission one of the most strategic in the region.

Joash Maangi moved to Brussels

Under the same presidential directive, Ambassador Joash Maangi has been reassigned to Brussels, Belgium, where he will serve as Kenya’s envoy to both Belgium and the European Union. In Brussels, Maangi replaces Professor Bitange Ndemo, who was appointed to the post in April 2022.

Professor Ndemo’s tenure in Brussels drew renewed public attention in May last year when he was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi. However, he later withdrew from the position, citing irregularities and procedural flaws in the appointment process, a move that sparked debate within academic and governance circles.

The latest diplomatic changes underscore the government’s ongoing efforts to realign Kenya’s foreign service in line with emerging priorities, regional interests, and institutional transitions.

With Namwamba’s move to Kampala and Maangi’s redeployment to Brussels, the administration signaled its intention to strengthen bilateral and multilateral engagements at both regional and international levels.