British High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan, has announced his impending departure at the end of August.
Wigan, who took on the role in 2023, will be leaving to take up a new position as Director General of Strategy and Delivery at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London.
While making the announcement, he reminisced about his two-year tenure, hailing it as fulfilling for both countries.
"I am extremely sorry to be leaving Kenya after a whirlwind two years," he stated.
"The Kenya-UK partnership has gone from strength to strength – whether in trade, investment, technology, innovation or cultural links, benefitting both countries and peoples."
He further highlighted some of the vital partnerships the two nations have made in the two years he has been in office, including the signing of the new Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership.
Others he mentioned were the training of Kenyan marines by the UK and vital infrastructure investments like the Nairobi Railway City.
He revelled in witnessing first-hand the potential of Kenya and its citizens, including joining a Maasai elders meeting and seeing how UK support is helping establish women-led businesses in Wajir.
"From the tea plantations of Bomet County to the Silicon Savannah, I’ve no doubt that Kenya’s future is bright. I have visited most of Kenya’s counties – I am sorry to not have visited them all," Wigan stated.
"Kenya and the UK are going far together, and it has been incredibly rewarding to be part of that journey. Asanteni sana na kwaherini," he concluded, bidding farewell to Kenyans.
On April 19, the British Government announced that it had picked Wigan as its next High Commissioner to Kenya, replacing Jane Marriott, whose term ended at the end of July 2023.
Marriot, who had by then served a four-year term, was transferred to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Her appointment had made history, as she was the first woman to be named a High Commissioner to Kenya.
