Kenya is planning to establish new embassies in Azerbaijan and the Republic of Congo as part of a wider government initiative to reorganise its diplomatic presence around the world.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 10, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirmed that the new diplomatic missions would be established in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The ministry said the review of Kenya’s global diplomatic network was necessary to align the country’s foreign representation with emerging national interests, economic priorities and changing geopolitical realities.
It noted that growing international uncertainties, financial constraints and competing development needs had made it necessary to reassess the country’s diplomatic presence abroad.
As part of the restructuring, the government plans to implement changes in phases, including shutting down some embassies, relocating existing missions and establishing new diplomatic offices in strategically important locations.
During the first phase, Kenya has identified its embassy in Bern, Switzerland, for closure.
The government also confirmed that the relocation of its diplomatic missions from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Mexico City, and from Havana, Cuba, to Kingston, Jamaica, had already been completed.
Despite the planned closure of the Bern embassy, the ministry clarified that Kenya would maintain its diplomatic relations with Switzerland.
Bilateral engagements between Nairobi and Bern will instead be handled by the Kenyan High Commission in London, which previously oversaw relations between the two countries.
Kenya will also retain its diplomatic representation in Geneva, which will continue handling the country’s engagements with the United Nations and other international organisations headquartered in the Swiss city.
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The ministry further assured Kenyans living in Switzerland that they would continue accessing consular services through Kenya’s Permanent Mission in Geneva.
It added that the changes would be rolled out gradually to minimise disruptions to Kenyans residing abroad and countries maintaining diplomatic relations with Nairobi.
The diplomatic restructuring comes days after the government established its second pilot investment office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
In a statement issued on Sunday, November 1, the Kenya Investment Authority (InvestKenya) said the initiative was part of efforts to strengthen the country’s presence in strategic international markets and attract foreign investment.
The authority explained that the offices were intended to bring Kenya’s investment promotion activities closer to international investors, financial institutions and sources of global capital.
Once operational, the Jeddah office will connect Kenyan investment opportunities with Saudi businesses, companies and institutional investors.
It will also facilitate foreign direct investment (FDI) and promote commercial opportunities in Kenya in collaboration with the Kenyan Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah.
InvestKenya said the Jeddah initiative builds on the experience gained from its first pilot office in Hangzhou, China.
The authority plans to use the two pilot offices as a foundation for establishing a broader network of investment hubs in priority international markets, particularly across the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
