The United Kingdom has appointed seasoned diplomat Matt Baugh as its new High Commissioner to Kenya, marking a new chapter in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Baugh succeeds Neil Wigan, who has moved on to another role within the UK Diplomatic Service. According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Baugh is expected to assume office in April 2026.

“Mr Matt Baugh OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of Kenya in succession to Mr Neil Wigan OBE, who has taken up another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Baugh will take up his appointment during April 2026,” the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said in a press statement issued on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Matt Baugh’s career profile

John William Matthew Baugh, the incoming envoy, brings decades of experience across conflict zones, international diplomacy, and strategic policy within the UK government.

Prior to his appointment, Baugh served as Director for Migration and Conflict at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) between 2024 and 2025.

He also previously held the position of Director for Euro-Atlantic Security from 2022 to 2024.

His diplomatic résumé includes high-level postings in Brussels, where he represented the UK at the EU Political and Security Committee, as well as leadership roles in political and security affairs at the UK Mission to the European Union.

Baugh’s ties to Africa

Baugh is no stranger to Africa. Between 2013 and 2016, he served as Deputy Director for Africa at the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Earlier in his career, he was the UK’s Ambassador to Mogadishu from 2010 to 2013, during a critical period in Somalia’s recovery efforts.

His experience also spans Sudan, where he worked as a country representative in Khartoum, and multiple global crisis assignments, including leadership roles in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq-related operations.

Beyond diplomatic postings, Baugh has held influential positions across UK government departments, including:

• Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State at the Department for International Development (DFID)
• Deputy Director for Iraq at DFID
• Head of the Joint Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit, a cross-government initiative involving the FCO and Ministry of Defence

He also worked at the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) between 2016 and 2019, where he served as Director of Strategy and Principal Private Secretary.

Ahead of his Nairobi posting, Baugh has undergone pre-deployment training, including Swahili language studies, an indication of the UK’s intent to deepen engagement with Kenya and the broader East African region.