President William Ruto has reshuffled Kenya’s foreign service, with one of the key changes being the transfer of Ambassador Mohamed Ramadhan Ruwange.
Ruwange, who served as Kenya’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia for nearly two years, helped secure the release of Stephen Munyakho, a Kenyan man who had been spent over a decade on death row there. And he even accompanied Munyakho on the trip back to Kenya.
But this month, Ruwange was demoted from Ambassador to Consul General and moved from Riyadh to Arusha, Tanzania. his portfolio will be smaller than in Riyadh.
He will be replaced by Ambassador Joseph Musyoka Masila
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei defended the move, saying Ruwange was specifically chosen to strengthen Kenya’s engagement with the East African Community (EAC). He called the new post strategic and a sign of confidence in Ruwange.
In his new role, Ruwange will handle consular services and trade relations in Tanzania, a posting the government says is still crucial.
Elsewhere, Kenya’s diplomatic reshuffle has also faced challenges. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the government rejected Ruto’s appointment of a new consul general to Goma, arguing that Kenya should have consulted them before making the decision.
By Vivian K.