By Asha Elmi - Reporter
WASHINGTON, U.S., September 15, 2026 - U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Devin Kennington as the next U.S. ambassador to Somalia, tapping a career diplomat who has worked on some of Washington’s most sensitive African files and previously served in Mogadishu.
Kennington was nominated as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Federal Republic of Somalia. His nomination requires Senate confirmation.
The choice would bring an experienced Africa hand back to Mogadishu at a time when Washington’s engagement with Somalia remains heavily shaped by counterterrorism, regional security and the fight against al-Shabaab.
From 2023 to 2024, Kennington served concurrently as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Political-Military Affairs Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, giving him direct experience with Somalia’s political and security landscape.
His nomination follows the recall of former ambassador Richard H. Riley during a broader Trump administration reshuffle of American diplomatic missions.
Kennington currently serves as Special Advisor for the Great Lakes, putting him at the center of U.S. efforts to address one of Africa’s most complex conflicts.
In that role, he supports implementation of the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda and helps facilitate negotiations between Kinshasa and the March 23 Movement, or M23, in coordination with Qatari partners.
His work on the Great Lakes crisis has positioned him as a working-level troubleshooter on difficult African diplomatic files, combining engagement with governments, regional actors and parties involved in conflict negotiations.
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Kennington previously served as Chief of Staff to the President’s Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs and as Great Lakes Chief in the State Department’s Office of Central African Affairs.
His diplomatic career has included assignments in Somalia, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil, Jamaica, Hong Kong and Macau. He has received several State Department awards and speaks French and Portuguese.
Kennington would also join a U.S. diplomatic tradition in Somalia stretching back to the country’s independence.
Andrew Green Lynch became the first U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Somalia on July 11, 1960, shortly after the establishment of the independent Somali Republic.
The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu closed in January 1991 following the collapse of Somalia’s central government, although Washington did not formally sever diplomatic relations with Somalia.
Ambassadorial representation eventually resumed, with Stephen Schwartz taking up the post in 2016 and Donald Yamamoto following in 2018. The United States formally reopened its embassy in Mogadishu in December 2018.
Kennington’s nomination therefore represents a return to familiar ground for a diplomat whose career has increasingly centered on managing difficult political and security challenges in Africa.
If confirmed by the Senate, he will return to Mogadishu as Washington’s top diplomat, bringing both previous Somalia experience and recent involvement in high-stakes African peace diplomacy.