British High Commissioner-Designate Matt Baugh Arrives in Nairobi

The British High Commissioner-designate to Kenya, Matt Baugh, arrived in Nairobi to assume his role as Head of Mission at the British High Commission.

Baugh previously served as Director of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Migration and Conflict Directorate.

He succeeds Neil Wigan, who departed Kenya in August 2025 to take up the position of Director General for Strategy and Delivery at the FCDO in London.

Speaking about his arrival, Matt Baugh said he was excited to report.

“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. I am excited to build on the breadth of our cooperation on the issues that matter to the UK and Kenya – from 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 High Commissioner, Baugh will prioritise implementation of the Kenya-UK Strategic Partnership, signed by President William Ruto and Prime Minister Keir Starmer in 2025.

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. And the partnership is already delivering, with bilateral trade surpassing GBP 2 billion (Sh340 billion) for the first time in November 2025.