The Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’Oei, has commended ministry staff for their dedication, professionalism and unwavering commitment despite what he termed an “exacting year”.
In a message to staff on Sunday, Sing’Oei said 2025 placed intense demands on officers due to a rapidly shifting global environment, but noted that they rose to the challenge and continued to deliver on the department’s mandate.
“This has been an exacting year, marked by a rapidly shifting global environment that placed enormous demands on everyone. Despite these pressures, you have continued to discharge your responsibilities with diligence and purpose,” Sing’Oei said.
He added that the collective effort had helped advance Kenya’s foreign policy priorities, strengthen bilateral and multilateral engagements, and improve the quality of services to Kenyans both at home and abroad.
Looking ahead to 2026, the PS expressed confidence in the ministry’s ability to respond to emerging challenges, urging staff to remain united and focused as they safeguard and promote Kenya’s interests on the global stage.
Sing’Oei also thanked staff and their families for the sacrifices made in public service and wished them a restful festive season and a prosperous New Year.
The PS’s message comes against the backdrop of a challenging year in Kenya’s foreign operations, particularly concerns over the safety of Kenyans lured abroad by human trafficking rings and rogue recruiters linked to the Russia–Ukraine war.
Earlier in December, the government reported the successful repatriation of 18 Kenyan citizens from the Russian Federation.
The Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs said the returnees would undergo a reintegration programme and receive psychosocial support.
Authorities said they were engaging both the Russian and Ukrainian governments to safeguard Kenyans from forced recruitment and to ensure safe passage home.
In a statement released on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the ministry said the government has established a fully fledged counselling unit under the State Department for Diaspora Affairs (SDDA) to provide psychosocial support to returnees, their families and other Kenyans in distress.
The 18 repatriated individuals, alongside others facing similar challenges, will undergo a reintegration programme aimed at supporting their full return to normal life.
This comes three years after the Russia–Ukraine conflict escalated into a full-scale war in February 2022.
The government has previously indicated that more than 200 Kenyans are reported to have been recruited into the Russian military, with some sustaining injuries while others remain stranded.
The conflict began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and intensified sharply in 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
