Trump picks Devin Kennington as US ambassador to Somalia

Washington, United States — US President Donald Trump has nominated veteran diplomat Devin Kennington as the next US ambassador to Somalia, moving to fill a post that has been without a Senate-confirmed envoy since January.

The White House announced the nomination on Monday, saying Kennington, of California, had been selected to serve as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Federal Republic of Somalia”.

His nomination was formally sent to the US Senate on September 14, along with a series of diplomatic and senior government appointments.

The Senate must confirm Kennington before he can formally take up the post in Mogadishu.

If confirmed, he would succeed Richard H. Riley, the last Senate-confirmed US ambassador to Somalia, whose posting ended earlier this year after the Trump administration recalled him as part of a wider reshuffle of American ambassadors.

The administration ordered Riley’s recall in December 2025 , with his assignment due to conclude the following month.

Riley, a career Foreign Service officer, had served as ambassador since 2024. He was sworn in on May 8 that year and later presented his credentials to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Embassy transition

Following Riley’s departure, Justin Davis took over as chargé d’affaires, becoming Washington’s most senior diplomat in Somalia while the ambassadorial post remained vacant.

Davis led the US mission for nearly eight months before concluding his assignment in September.

In a September 10 statement , the US Embassy in Mogadishu thanked Davis for his leadership in advancing US “counterterrorism, law enforcement, and immigration priorities”.

The embassy simultaneously announced that Ruth Anne Stevens-Klitz would serve as the incoming chargé d’affaires, saying she would continue to advance the Trump administration’s “America First” priorities and strengthen US-Somalia relations.

Stevens-Klitz is now leading the mission while Kennington’s nomination goes through the Senate confirmation process.

Africa experience

Kennington brings experience in African affairs from the US State Department.

State Department records list him as the Great Lakes Unit Chief in the Bureau of African Affairs’ Office of Central African Affairs, where his portfolio covered US policy towards countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

He has also worked on the Democratic Republic of Congo portfolio, with US government records i dentifying him in senior roles dealing with the country.

Kennington also has direct experience in the Horn of Africa from an earlier posting at the US Embassy in Djibouti, where he served in the consular section.

The White House did not release a detailed biography alongside the nomination or indicate when the Senate may take it up.

Security ties

The nomination comes as security and counterterrorism remain at the centre of relations between Washington and Mogadishu.

The United States is one of Somalia’s main security partners and continues to support Somali forces fighting Al-Shabaab and Islamic State militants.

US Africa Command has also continued air strikes against militant targets in Somalia in coordination with the federal government.

The change in diplomatic leadership comes during a period of broader political and security pressure in Somalia, including disputes over the country’s electoral process and continuing military operations against Al-Shabaab.

Washington formally recognised Somalia’s federal government in 2013, more than two decades after the collapse of the central government in 1991.

The United States re-established a permanent diplomatic presence in Mogadishu in December 2018, reopening its embassy after a 27-year absence.

Kennington will remain ambassador-designate unless and until the Senate confirms his nomination. Stevens-Klitz will meanwhile continue to head the US mission in Mogadishu as chargé d’affaires.

The post Trump picks Devin Kennington as US ambassador to Somalia appeared first on Caasimada Online .