Jane Marriott Appointed New British High Commissioner to Kenya

The UK government has appointed Jane Marriott as the new High Commissioner to Kenya. 

In a statement sent to Kenyans.co.ke, Marriott is set to succeed outgoing High commissioner Nic Hailey whose four-year term is set to end after Marriott takes over in September 2019.

"Very excited about my new role and looking forward to building on the relationship and partnership between our two countries." she tweeted following her appointment.

Marriott is the first woman to be appointed to the role, and was, until recently, the Director of the UK Government’s Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit.

“Marriott brings a wealth of experience to the position, having worked across many UK Government Departments," an excerpt of the letter disclosed.

She has worked across many UK Government Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence.

Marriott previously served as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Yemen, and British Deputy Ambassador to Iran, having also undertaken postings in the USA, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Her elaborate résumé also includes the role of an Additional Director at the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices (FCO) in the Middle East as well as North African Directorate.

A High Commissioner is the UK government’s representative in Commonwealth nations responsible for the direction and work of the High Commission, while ambassadors are sent out to non-commonwealth countries.

Her soon-to-be predecessor had described Kenya's anti-graft campaign as the single most important task of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration when he announced his imminent departure, during a commemorative party to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 93rd birthday.