Matt Baugh, the new British High Commissioner-designate, has officially taken up his post, pledging to prioritise strategic cooperation and trade.
Baugh is a former British Ambassador to Somalia between 2010 and 2013, a station he served mostly from Nairobi as Somalia was still rebuilding its security apparatus and the UK hadn’t fully relocated its mission back to Mogadishu.
In Nairobi, he will succeed Neil Wigan, whose term in Kenya ended in August 2025 and was promoted to a higher role back in London.
Mr Wigan is now Director-General for Strategy and Delivery at the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) in London.
Until his appointment, Mr Baugh served as the Director for Migration and Conflict issues at the FCDO up to December 2025. He previously held the role of Director for Euro-Atlantic Security (2022 to 2024), responsible for NATO and OSCE policy and security policy in the Euro-Atlantic area.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Baugh described Kenya as one of the most dynamic countries he had visited, and promised to strengthen the existing working relationship between Kenya and the UK during his tenure.
“I am absolutely delighted to be back in Kenya, having lived here with my family while serving as British Ambassador to Somalia from 2010 to 2013. I look forward to rediscovering this amazing country and getting reacquainted with her people, who make this one of the most dynamic countries anywhere in the world,” Mr Baugh said.
Key focus
He also said that under his leadership, the London and Nairobi’s existing working relationship on the issues that matter, ranging from the UK investments in key infrastructure projects like Nairobi Railway City, to supporting innovative start-ups tackling the biggest challenges of the day, to fostering the deep connections between the people of our two great countries.
“Kenya and the UK enjoy a vital strategic partnership and it is an honour to serve as British High Commissioner to help our relationship go from strength to strength, delivering real results for Kenyan and British people; going far, together.”
As the High Commissioner, Mr. Baugh will prioritise the implementation of the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership, which was signed by President William Ruto and Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2025.
He said that the partnership sets out shared ambitions to double trade, increase investment and green growth, build climate resilience, strengthen regional security cooperation, and deepen collaboration across science, technology, and innovation.
Mr Baugh is also a decorated diplomat, having worked as the Political and Security Director (and Ambassador to the EU’s Political and Security Committee until the UK’s Exit) at the UK Mission to the European Union (2020 to 2022).
He also served as the Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union (until 2019).
Between 1999 and 2010, he worked for the Department for International Development (DFID) in a variety of roles, including Principal Private Secretary to the Development Secretary, Head of the Iraq Department (2005 to 2006) and the Head of the HMG Stabilisation Unit (2004 to 2005), among other assignments.
Mr Baugh is a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy (2010).
