U.S. Appoints New Top Diplomat to Kenya

The United States Embassy in Nairobi has confirmed the appointment of Susan M. Burns as the new Chargé d’Affaires.
Following the appointment, Burns will take over the role of the top U.S. diplomat in the country, making her the highest-ranking American official in Kenya.
Burns also confirmed her appointment in a statement on Monday, August 25, expressing delight and optimism about potentially further strengthening the relationship between Kenya and the U.S
“I am so happy to be here to continue working to strengthen our relationship with Kenya. Many thanks to Carla and the entire Embassy team for their ongoing efforts. Can’t wait to meet you, Kenya,” she said in a statement.
Burns will now be in charge of operations at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, which is the largest embassy in Sub-Saharan Africa. She succeeds Carla Benini, who briefly served as Chargé d’Affaires in an interim capacity following the brief tenure of the Deputy Chief of Mission Marc Dillard.
Benini also took to his social media to share a message to welcome Burn in her new role in a video which bore the Kenyan and American flags.
“I am excited to welcome our new Chargé d’Affaires, Susan Burns, here to Kenya. Karibu, Susan!” she said. In response, Burns replied with a touch of Swahili slang, saying, “Ahsante, Carla. I am so happy to be here in Kenya. Rada wasee!”
Burns has extensive experience indiplomatic positions from across the world. In one of her most recent roles, she served as Principal Officer in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from 2022 to 2025.
In her diplomatic résumé, she also served as Director for the Office of Mainland Southeast Asia in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. She also served in public diplomacy roles in Kampala (Uganda), Kathmandu (Nepal), Ghana, Poland, and Taiwan.
Further, she is also a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service. In 2017, she was awarded the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Public Diplomacy.
As far as her academic credentials are concerned, Burns has a master’s degree in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College and a bachelor’s degree from McGill University.
One of her biggest tasks as Chargé d’Affaires will be to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives, coordinate interagency work, support bilateral cooperation in sectors such as health, security, trade and governance, and ensure the safety of embassy personnel and facilities.
More importantly, Burns will now become the public face of the U.S. government in Kenya.
Burns’ appointment follows a number of transitions in the U.S. Embassy in recent months, particularly after the resignation of former ambassador Meg Whitman on November 13 2024. Deputy Chief of Mission Marc Dillard briefly assumed leadership beforehanding over to Carla Benini, who served for one month until Burns’ arrival.