The United States Senate on Thursday confirmed former State Senator Kyle McCarter as the new ambassador to Kenya.
McCarter is set to replace Ambassador Robert Godec who has held the post for nearly six years.
The former Senator was appointed in March 2018 but had to wait for nine months before being confirmed by the Senate.
Appearing before a past senate hearing, McCarter noted that he was ready to work with Kenyans in bettering the nation.
“I will use my experiences in business, public service, and philanthropy to build on the already strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Kenya. I will continue to demonstrate the goodwill and generosity of the American people," he said as quoted by NPR Illinois.
McCarter and his family are not new to Kenya as they have been running a family charity (Each One Feed One) in the country for over 30 years.
The incoming Ambassador is also fluent in Swahili which is one of the national languages in Kenya.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Godec congratulated McCarter on his appointment and expressed his gratitude to Kenyans for allowing him to serve them.
"Congratulations Kyle McCarter on your confirmation by the U.S. Senate as the next U.S. Ambassador to Kenya! It's been an honour & privilege to serve here for six years. Lori & I will forever cherish our friendships & memories of this beautiful country & its extraordinary people," Godec tweeted.
A screenshot of Ambassador Godec's tweet. [Source/Omondi Otieno]