Kenya Closes Bern Embassy to Open Missions in Azerbaijan and Congo

The Government of Kenya is restructuring its global diplomatic footprint to align with evolving national priorities and fiscal pressures. As part of this rationalization process, the government ordered the permanent closure of its embassy in Bern, Switzerland, which opened in 2020. Consular services in Bern are scheduled to end on November 30, 2026.

Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'Oei announced that bilateral matters with Switzerland will return to the High Commission in London, while the Permanent Mission in Geneva will provide consular services to approximately 12,000 Kenyans. Kenyan nationals with pending applications must collect their documents by the November 30 deadline, though those who applied after November 1 will be contacted individually.

To expand its presence in Central Europe and Central Africa, Kenya is opening new embassies in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs confirmed the relocation of the mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to Mexico City, and the mission in Havana, Cuba, to Kingston, Jamaica.