Trump Nominates Veteran Diplomat Henry Wooster as US Ambassador to Kenya

President Donald Trump has nominated veteran diplomat Henry Wooster to serve as the next United States Ambassador to Kenya.

The nomination, announced on 2 June, will now be considered by the Senate.

Wooster is a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counsellor. He brings more than 30 years of diplomatic and military experience to the position. His previous roles include serving as US Ambassador to Jordan from 2020 to 2023, during which he worked under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

He has also held several senior government positions, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Egypt and the Maghreb, Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commanding General of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.

Wooster studied at Amherst College and Yale University and is regarded as an experienced diplomat with extensive regional expertise. His nomination comes as Kenya continues to play an important role in US engagement in East Africa, particularly in the areas of security, trade and development.

If confirmed by the Senate, Wooster will succeed Ambassador Meg Whitman, whose tenure ended in November 2024 following Trump’s election as the 47th President of the United States. The nomination forms part of a wider group of diplomatic appointments announced by Trump. 

The administration has also nominated ambassadors to Egypt, Brazil, Colombia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Paraguay and Ecuador. All nominees must complete the Senate confirmation process, which includes committee hearings and a vote by the full Senate.

Wooster’s appointment would place him in one of Washington’s most significant diplomatic posts in East Africa. His experience in the Middle East and Central Asia is expected to inform his work as the United States seeks to strengthen cooperation with Kenya on regional security and economic issues.

The Senate will now decide whether to confirm Wooster as the next US ambassador to Kenya, a role central to managing relations between Washington and Nairobi.