NAIROBI: Jane Marriott, 43, has been appointed British High Commissioner to Kenya to succeed Nic Hailey and will take over in September.
In a press statement, the UK High Commission said Marriott will be the first woman to be appointed to the role, and was, until her appointment the Director of UK Government’s Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit.
“Marriott brings a wealth of experience to the position, having worked across many UK Government Departments including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. Ms Marriott previously served as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Yemen, and British Deputy Ambassador to Iran, and has also undertaken postings in the USA, Iraq and Afghanistan,” the mission said.
Before being appointed as Home Office, Director, Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit in 2016, she worked as Additional Director, Middle East and North Africa Directorate.
“Very excited about my new role and looking forward to building on the relationship and partnership between our two countries,” Marriot tweeted as soon as the announcement was made.
Between 2013 –15, she was the ambassador to Yemen, having served in the National Security Council, Deputy Director, Americas, Middle East and Africa in 2012.
Between 2010 – 11, she was in Tehran, as Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Head of Mission. She has been involved in various counterterrorism initiatives in Somalia, and in October last year, was in Somaliland to discuss counterterrorism with state president Muse Bihi Abdi.
She is a Durham University graduate, where she studied history between 1994-97. She proceeded to the University of Cambridge to pursue a M.Phil in International Relations and graduated in 1998.
