Kenya is expanding its diplomatic footprint with plans to open a resident embassy in the Vatican City, part of what officials describe as the country’s “global, moral, and development diplomacy.”
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the proposal, aimed at deepening engagement with the Holy See and strengthening collaboration in education, health, and humanitarian work.
The Vatican, seat of the Roman Catholic Church, wields considerable influence in peace-building, climate advocacy, and global development.
Kenya’s new mission will formalize cooperation with Catholic development agencies that already run more than 7,700 schools and 500 health facilities across the country.
The move reflects Nairobi’s shift toward engaging actors of moral authority rather than traditional geopolitical power—a strategy that aligns with President William Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which places social development at the centre of foreign policy.
Until now, Kenya has been accredited to the Holy See through its embassy in Paris, where Ambassador Betty Cherwon serves as envoy. The Holy See maintains an Apostolic Nuncio in Nairobi, a role currently held by Archbishop Hubertus van Megen, who also represents the Vatican in South Sudan.
Diplomatic relations between Kenya and the Holy See date back to 1965, soon after independence. The Vatican’s outreach in Africa grew rapidly after the end of colonial rule, with Kenya emerging as one of its most active partners on the continent.
The country has hosted four papal visits: in 1980, 1985, and 1995 by Pope John Paul II, and in 2015 by Pope Francis—his first visit to Africa.
According to the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, an estimated 12 million Kenyans identify as Catholic, making Kenya the third-largest Catholic nation in the East African Community.
Ties have not always been frictionless. In August 2024, Kenya lodged a formal diplomatic protest with the Holy See after Archbishop van Megen publicly criticised the government’s handling of the Gen Z protests, calling them “a revolution that turned tables.”
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs accused the Vatican diplomat of “inflammatory utterances” and “one-sided commentary,” calling his remarks “undiplomatic and unbecoming.”
Van Megen’s homily had likened the youth-led demonstrations against the Finance Bill 2024 to a cleansing of the “temple of democracy,” urging the government to listen to the anger of its citizens.
He also condemned police violence, abductions of activists, and praised churches that offered refuge to wounded protesters.
Despite the tensions, relations remain robust.