Uhuru appoints 24 new ambassadors, high commissioners

President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed 24 new ambassadors and high commissioners. Mr Tomas Kwaka Omolo, popularly known as Big Ted, is among 24 new envoys appointed by the President.

The former State House Deputy Director for Branding and Events has been deployed to Los Angeles in the USA as Kenya’s Consul-General.

The appointments are contained in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday.

Former Dagoretti South Member of Parliament Dennis Waweru will serve as Consul General in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while outgoing National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai will be the Kenyan Ambassador to Namibia. 

Ms Margaret Wambui Ngugi Shava, who is the President’s niece, will represent Kenya in the Netherlands. She was a member of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

She is a seasoned lawyer and writer. In 2016, she was shortlisted for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairperson position.

Bitange Ndemo

Also landing a diplomatic post is lawyer Paul Ndung’u who goes to Mozambique, while former Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications Dr Bitange Ndemo will be heading to Belgium.

Others include Dr Caroline Karugu (Denmark), Amina Abdalla (Sultanate of Oman), Diana Kiambuthi (Rwanda), Maj Gen Andrew Ikenye (Nigeria), Michael Oyugi (Spain), and Boniface Mwilu (Qatar).

Also appointed are Nyambura Kamau (Pakistan), Maj Gen Thomas Chepkuto (Somalia), Isaac Njenga (Tanzania), Leonard Boiyo (Turkey), Maj Gen George Owinow (Uganda).

President Kenyatta also appointed an ambassador and special envoy for the maritime and blue economy and further promoted six senior Foreign Service Officers to the rank of Ambassador.

Powerful men

Last year, Big Ted, opened up about brushing shoulders with powerful men in the corridors of State House.

Speaking to Jalang'o on YouTube, Big Ted narrated how God gave him another chance.

"I have made mistakes, with my life, family, social and spiritual life. I am a great example of mistake-making, but I am also a great example of God’s grace," he said.

He also said that the job partly contributed to his suffering from depression.

The father of two disclosed that the big State House job came with very high expectations from friends, relatives and associates.

“I suffered numerous emotional states of character development during the period as there were so many expectations from family and people I had interacted with,” he said.

He narrated how the job made him lose his social life, seeing as he was scared of leaving his house.