Kenya has responded to protests from the Democratic Republic of Congo over President William Ruto’s nomination of a new Consul-General to Goma.
Speaking on behalf of the president, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister Musalia Mudavadi clarified that the nomination of Judy Kiara Nkumiri does not automatically constitute a diplomatic posting. According to international protocol, the nominee must first undergo parliamentary vetting, followed by Agrément — formal approval — and Exequatur, authorization from Kinshasa, before assuming official duties in Goma.
Mudavadi emphasized that the reshuffle is part of Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, or BETA, aimed at improving service delivery, and is not intended to undermine the DRC’s sovereignty or ongoing peace initiatives.
The controversy arose after Ruto’s foreign service reshuffle on August 15, 2025, which redeployed ambassadors, high commissioners, and consuls to 20 missions worldwide, including the critical post of Consul-General to Goma. The following day, the DRC’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement expressing concern over the lack of prior consultations.
Mudavadi confirmed he has already engaged with his Congolese counterpart, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, to address tensions. He stressed that Kenya has long-standing troops, businesses, and peacekeeping interests in eastern DRC, and that the diplomatic realignment is designed solely to optimize performance and service delivery.
The DRC government cited the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which requires host-country consent and the issuance of an Exequatur before a consular post can be established. Kinshasa noted that official notification must follow established diplomatic channels, and reiterated that Goma remains under the illegal control of M23 rebels backed by Rwanda.
Mudavadi reassured that Kenya’s actions are not politically motivated and that Nairobi continues to co-chair the EAC-SADC-AU peace process in the DRC.
We will continue to monitor developments between Kenya and the DRC regarding this diplomatic dispute.
Reporting by Ehud Jones.
