Josphat Maikara assumes office as political and diplomatic affairs DG
By Nancy Marende, August 5, 2025Ambassador Josphat Maikara has officially assumed office as the Director General for Political and Diplomatic Affairs at the State Department for Foreign Affairs.
According to a statement by the State Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, he takes over from Ambassador Eliphas Barine, who retires after a distinguished 35-year career in Kenya’s diplomatic service.
In his acceptance speech during a handover ceremony held at the ministry’s headquarters on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Maikara paid glowing tribute to his predecessor, describing Barine as a principled and visionary diplomat whose mentorship and leadership have shaped generations of foreign service officers.
In his farewell message, Barine expressed gratitude to colleagues and the Ministry for their support, urging staff to remain guided by the values of patriotism, integrity, and selfless service.
“The honour of serving our country is a privilege that must never be taken for granted,” he said.
Senior officials from the ministry attended the event, paying tribute to Barine’s contribution and welcoming Maikara into his new role.
Prior to his appointment, Maikara served as Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, which he took over on February 25, 2025, from Henry Wambuma, a seasoned career diplomat, who had retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60 years.
He also served as the Deputy Director General at the Americas and the Caribbean Directorate at the State Department for Foreign Affairs, where he assumed office on July 18, 2024.
He took over from Ambassador Beatrice Karago, who moved to the Kenya Permanent Mission to Habitat as the Deputy Director General and Head of Chancery.
He also served as the Director for East African Affairs and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region Department (EAA&ICGLR), whose mandate is to advance Kenya’s diplomatic engagements with the East African Community and the Great Lakes Region countries in the spirit of the Afrocentric Foreign Policy Approach, as well as to help promote better bilateral relations and integration in the region.
Amb. Maikara previously served as the Director-General of the Foreign Service Administration and as Kenya’s Ambassador to Angola.