Donald Trump nominates Henry Wooster as US ambassador to Kenya

Wooster, a career member of the US Senior Foreign Service with the rank of minister-counsellor, brings over three decades of diplomatic and security experience to the role. His previous assignments include serving as Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy in Haiti and as the United States ambassador to Jordan from 2020 to 2023. He has also held positions as principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing the Maghreb and Egypt portfolio, Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, and foreign policy advisor to the commanding general of the US Joint Special Operations Command.

Wooster's diplomatic career has included postings in Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, and NATO headquarters. Before joining the Foreign Service, he was an officer in the US Army. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Master of Arts degree from Yale University.

If confirmed, Wooster will replace former US ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, who concluded her tenure in November 2024. The nomination comes as Kenya and the United States continue to deepen cooperation on trade, security, and regional stability.