TRUMP APPOINTS NEW AMBASSADOR TO KENYA

Trump has appointed Carla Benini as the new United States Ambassador to Kenya, entrusting her with leading the largest US embassy in sub-Saharan Africa. She officially assumed her duties on July 21, 2025.

Ambassador Benini is a Senior Foreign Service officer with a diplomatic career spanning multiple continents. Before this appointment, she served as the Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Nairobi from 2023. Her experience in Washington includes serving as Deputy Director in the Office of East African Affairs and as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

She has held key foreign postings in Belgium, Uganda, India, Brazil, and Italy, and previously worked within the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. Her career foundation in journalism gives her a strong command of public diplomacy and global communication.

Benini holds a degree from Pennsylvania State University and is fluent in French, Portuguese, and Italian. She takes over from former Ambassador Meg Whitman, who resigned in November 2023. Deputy Chief of Mission Marc Dillard had been serving in an acting capacity until her arrival.

Ambassador Benini’s leadership comes at a crucial time for US-Kenya relations, with ongoing cooperation in public health, security, trade, and climate initiatives under a renewed Trump administration.