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President Donald Trump has nominated veteran diplomat Henry Wooster to serve as the next United States ambassador to Kenya.
The nomination was contained in a list of nominations sent by the White House to the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, June 2, for consideration.
According to the notice, Wooster is a resident of Virginia and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor.
If confirmed, he will serve as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Kenya.
Wooster has served in a wide range of senior positions across multiple regions including the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and Africa.
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He holds a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a master’s degree from Yale University.
In addition to his diplomatic service, Wooster also served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1985 to 2009, giving him a background that combines both military and foreign policy experience.
One of his most prominent roles was serving as the United States Ambassador to Jordan from 2020 to 2023, where he represented U.S. interests during a period marked by significant regional security and diplomatic activity in the Middle East.
Wooster has also served in other key diplomatic positions, including Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, one of the most important U.S. embassies globally.
In Washington, D.C., he held senior roles at the State Department and the National Security Council, including Director for Central Asia and Foreign Policy Advisor to U.S. Special Operations Command.
Wooster also worked on portfolios involving Iran, Egypt, and the Maghreb region as a Deputy Assistant Secretary.
Earlier in his career, he served in various overseas postings, including in Islamabad, Pakistan, and other strategically significant diplomatic assignments focused on security and political affairs.
Meg Whitman previously served as United States' ambassador to Kenya; she resigned in November 2024.
In a statement dated Wednesday, November 13, Whitman revealed that she had tendered her resignation to President Joe Biden.
She detailed that she had also informed her colleagues at the US Embassy of her decision to leave her role.
Following her departure, Chargé d'Affaires Marc Dillard was picked to lead the team at the Embassy until the position was filled.
"Today, I announced to my team at the U.S. embassy that I submitted my resignation to President Biden. It has been an honour and privilege to serve the American people through strengthening our partnership with Kenya.
"I am proud of leading a people-centred agenda that saves lives, increases security, and creates economic opportunities for Kenyans and Americans," the statement read in part.
It added, "From delivering emergency funding to alleviate catastrophic flooding in 2023 to the ongoing fight against malaria, HIV, and MPOX, the US government prioritizes the health and welfare of our friends in Kenya."
