Cabinet approves establishment of Kenyan embassies in Vatican, Vietnam and Denmark
By Kenneth Mwenda, November 11, 2025The Cabinet has approved several major initiatives, including the endorsement of the establishment of a Kenyan embassy in Vatican City, along with new embassies in Denmark and Vietnam, all aimed at strengthening diplomatic engagement.
According to the press release on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the Vatican mission will strengthen diplomatic engagement, boost collaboration with faith-based development agencies, and support education, healthcare, and social welfare initiatives across the country.
“The Cabinet endorsed the establishment of an Embassy of the Republic of Kenya to the Vatican City to strengthen diplomatic engagement with the Holy See and advance Kenya’s global, moral, and development diplomacy,” the press release reads.
“The Cabinet further approved the establishment of new embassies in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Hanoi, Vietnam, to expand Kenya’s diplomatic footprint, strengthen bilateral and trade relations, and advance the country’s strategic interests globally.”
Other approvals
Other approvals focus on improving infrastructure, land management, and wildlife conservation. At the top of the list is a new framework to regulate the pricing of infrastructure projects.
“The Cabinet has approved a Comprehensive Framework for Infrastructure Project Pricing to curb inflated costs, enhance transparency, and ensure better value for money in public investments,” the press release reads.
The framework will replace irregular and inconsistent practices with a data-driven system for determining infrastructure costs.
The Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service will oversee the reform through a Multi-Agency Technical Working Team. The team has already developed sectoral pricing models, cost derivation criteria, and proposals for a National Infrastructure Pricing Database.
The Cabinet noted that despite significant investments over the past two decades, infrastructure costs have remained inconsistent, often resulting in overruns. The framework will use the First Principles Approach, already applied successfully in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore.
This method replaces historical estimates with analysis based on current data, which could reduce project overruns by up to 25 per cent.
Land, roads, settlers benefit
In addition, the Cabinet approved a waiver of interest and penalties on outstanding land settlement loans. The move will benefit thousands of settlers in 520 schemes across 26 counties, covering a total portfolio of Ksh12.3 billion.
Settlers will now be able to obtain title deeds, use them as collateral, and regularise accounts that have been in arrears for decades. The decision aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda and supports agricultural productivity, with beneficiaries given a 12-month period to clear principal balances.
The Cabinet also gave the green light for the dualling of the 23.5km Muthaiga-Kiambu-Ndumberi road. The project will expand the existing two-lane highway into a dual carriageway with bypasses, loops, access roads, and lanes for non-motorised transport.
It targets congestion along the corridor serving Muthaiga, Runda, Ridgeways, and Kiambu Town, improving mobility between Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
Wildlife, devolution strengthened
To strengthen wildlife conservation, the Cabinet approved the Nairobi National Park–Athi-Kapiti Wildlife Corridor. The project will reconnect the park to surrounding conservancies in Machakos and Kajiado counties, restoring migratory routes for species such as zebras, wildebeest, and gazelles.
Implementation will include land acquisition, wildlife-friendly fencing, and overpasses and underpasses for safe animal crossings. The three-year project will use partnerships with conservation agencies and innovative financing, including nature bonds and debt-for-nature swaps.
Further reforms include the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which will split the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill into two laws. The change aims to speed up fund transfers to county governments, improving service delivery and strengthening devolution.