Kenya: Ruto Appoints Ababu Namwamba Kenya's New High Commissioner to Uganda

21 January 2026
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Samuel Muhimba

Kenya's President William Ruto has appointed former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba as the country's new High Commissioner to Uganda, replacing Ambassador Joash Maangi, who has served in Kampala since 2024.

Maangi has been redeployed to Brussels as Kenya's representative to the European Union. The appointments were confirmed on Wednesday evening in a statement by Kenya's Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei.

"His Excellency the President has this afternoon sanctioned changes within the nation's Foreign Service. The changes are necessitated by vacancies arising from the completion of the terms of service of serving Ambassadors.

"By dint of this presidential action, the following serving Heads of Kenya's missions abroad have been reassigned as stated: Amb. Ababu Namwamba-High Commissioner Kampala, Uganda; and Amb. Joash Maangi-Brussels, Belgium and the European Union. The changes take effect immediately," the statement read.

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The appointments are part of a wider diplomatic reshuffle by President Ruto affecting several Kenyan missions abroad.

Who is Ababu Namwamba?

Namwamba is a trained lawyer, with academic credentials from Nairobi and Washington, DC. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Legal Studies from American University's Washington College of Law, a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from the University of Nairobi, and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Kenya School of Law.

He has been recognized for his work in human rights and governance, earning the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship in International Justice, Democracy, and the Rule of Law.

Between 2012 and 2017, Namwamba served as Kenya's Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. He later worked as Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participating in key diplomatic engagements.

He also served as Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and the Creative Economy, where he oversaw policies promoting youth empowerment, sports development, and growth of the creative sector.

Namwamba has previously represented Kenya internationally, serving as Ambassador to the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and as Special Envoy for the African Union Audio-Visual Cinema Commission.

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