Trump nominates veteran diplomat Henry Wooster as US ambassador to Kenya

In a statement released by the White House, Wooster was named Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Kenya, pending approval by the U.S. Senate.

“Henry Wooster, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kenya,” the statement read.

Wooster takes over from Meg Whitman, who previously served as the United States Ambassador to Kenya. Whitman held the post from August 2022 until she stepped down in November 2024 in the wake of the U.S. presidential election.

Wooster is a seasoned career diplomat with decades of experience in foreign policy and international relations, having held several senior positions within the U.S. State Department and diplomatic missions across the globe.

According to the U.S. Embassy, Wooster currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Maghreb and Egypt in the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

He previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France, as well as Deputy Chief of Mission and later Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan.

His diplomatic résumé also includes postings as Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council, and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commanding General of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.

Earlier in his career, Wooster served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iran in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and headed the Office of Iranian Affairs at the State Department.

The nominee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Master of Arts degree from Yale University.

He is multilingual, speaking French and Russian fluently, with working knowledge of Arabic, Farsi, and Syriac/Aramaic.