President William Ruto has bid farewell to Meg Whitman, the outgoing United States Ambassador to Kenya, following her resignation after Donald Trump’s election as the 47th President of the United States.
Whitman, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Kenya for two years, announced her resignation in a statement to the media on November 13, 2024, shortly after Trump’s election victory. She explained that her decision was part of the transition to a new administration in Washington.
During her tenure, Whitman highlighted several key achievements. She credited her role in facilitating President Ruto’s recent state visit to the U.S. as a major success, alongside strengthening bilateral relations between Kenya and the U.S.
She also made significant strides in visa processing, reducing wait times for Kenyan non-immigrant visa interviews from two years to just two months. Additionally, Whitman promoted tourism and helped secure investments from major U.S. corporations such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft, a development she linked directly to Ruto’s visit to the U.S. in May 2024.
“My number one priority was visas. Every Kenyan was saying it was taking two years to get an interview for a visa. That has been reduced to two months for non-immigrant visas, which is fantastic,” Whitman said, underscoring her contributions during her time as Ambassador.
Despite these accomplishments, Whitman cautioned that corruption remains a significant obstacle to Kenya’s growth. “I’ve been speaking a lot about corruption in the last four or five months. Kenya has an incredible opportunity to be an economic powerhouse on the continent, to be the Singapore of Africa,” she remarked.
Whitman’s Criticism From Kenyans
Whitman’s departure came amid criticism from some Kenyans, who had called for her recall. The criticism was particularly focused on her handling of sensitive issues such as corruption, extrajudicial killings, and abductions, which gained prominence following the June Gen Z movement protests, where police killed dozens and arrested many others.
However, Whitman clarified that her resignation was not influenced by public backlash but was a routine part of the transition process following a U.S. presidential election.
“New presidents and new administrations typically expect ambassadors to submit their letters of resignation. I chose to do it now because we have three young grandchildren. My husband has a job in the U.S., and we need to get back and get settled. The embassy is in very good hands with Charge d’Affaires Marc Dillard,” she said.
Whitman emphasized that her decision was about ensuring a smooth transfer of power, noting that she has been in politics long enough to understand the importance of this tradition. “This is about the peaceful transfer of power, a new administration, and an entirely new set of ambassadors,” she added.
Now, Whitman plans to focus on her family’s transition back to the U.S. and support her husband in his career.
“I’ll get back to the United States and help my husband settle into his new job. We’ve been trading off our careers throughout 44 years of marriage, and now it’s his turn. After that, I’ll decide on my next steps,” she concluded.
Some photos of President Ruto bidding farewell to Amb.Whitman;
