Kenya’s Foreign Service Academy Launches Resource Mobilization Strategy 2026–2029
The Kenya Foreign Service Academy (FSA) has launched its Strategic Resource Mobilization Strategy 2026–2029, setting out an ambitious framework to strengthen diplomatic training, foreign policy research, digital transformation and institutional sustainability, while positioning the Academy to respond to the increasingly complex demands of contemporary diplomacy.
The Strategy seeks to mobilize US$30 million (approximately KSh 3.9 billion) to support the Academy’s transformation into a continental centre of excellence for diplomatic training, capacity building, research and strategic knowledge production.
Speaking during the launch, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, called on the diplomatic corps, development partners and other stakeholders to support the investment, underscoring the critical role of diplomatic capacity in advancing Kenya’s national interests and strengthening Africa’s voice in global decision-making.
Mudavadi observed that participation in international forums must translate into meaningful influence, noting that securing a seat at the international table is only the beginning.
“Africa has always wanted to be included at the roundtable; the question is whether we are going to have a meaningful presence at these tables, or simply presence,”
He stressed that effective participation requires diplomats equipped with the knowledge, technical expertise and strategic capacity to shape negotiations, influence decisions and advance national and continental interests.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary further challenged diplomats to adopt a broader and more dynamic understanding of national interest, cautioning against narrow interpretations that could undermine human rights, democratic values and international cooperation. He noted that Kenya’s expanding responsibilities in regional peace and security, multilateral diplomacy and African integration require a Foreign Service capable of navigating increasingly interconnected global challenges.
Representing the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Director-General, Political and Diplomatic Affairs, Ambassador Josphat Maikara, underscored the importance of investing in the expertise and capabilities required to advance and protect Kenya’s interests in an increasingly competitive international environment.
Amb. Maikara noted that the complexity of contemporary international relations demands a highly skilled and adaptable Foreign Service, emphasising the need to deploy officers with the requisite knowledge, technical competence and strategic acumen to effectively undertake Kenya’s diplomatic responsibilities.
He cautioned that failure to invest in specialised diplomatic expertise could constrain Kenya’s ability to effectively articulate, negotiate and defend its interests in international decision-making processes.
The Chairman of the Foreign Service Academy Governing Council, Professor Patrick Maluki, reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to ensuring prudent, transparent and accountable utilisation of resources mobilised under the Strategy.
He highlighted the importance of strengthening financial management, human resource systems, monitoring and evaluation frameworks, reporting mechanisms and accountability structures to ensure that investments in the Academy deliver measurable, sustainable and demonstrable value to partners and beneficiaries.
The Academy has called on development partners, diplomatic missions, international organisations, universities and the private sector to translate existing Memoranda of Understanding into practical programmes, partnerships and investments. Priority areas include innovative diplomatic training, faculty development, digital transformation, infrastructure, research and emerging areas of diplomatic practice.
The implementation of the Strategy is expected to enhance the Academy’s financial sustainability, modernise its training and research infrastructure, expand its regional and international reach, and strengthen its role as a leading African institution for diplomatic training and strategic knowledge production.
The launch comes as the Academy marks 20 years since its establishment in 2006 as the Foreign Service Institute. The institution transitioned into the Foreign Service Academy in 2017, while the Foreign Service Act, 2021 established it as a semi-autonomous government agency under the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. In 2024, a Governing Council was established to provide strategic oversight and leadership.
Over the past two decades, the Academy has trained more than 5,000 officers from Kenya and across the region, including diplomats from South Sudan and Somalia. Its programmes have expanded beyond the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to serve ministries, departments and agencies across government, covering diplomacy, protocol and related areas, while also strengthening foreign policy research and cooperation with counterpart diplomatic institutions.
As the Academy enters its third decade, the Resource Mobilization Strategy provides a platform for moving from institutional growth to strategic transformation—investing in the people, systems, infrastructure, research and partnerships required to build a stronger, more agile and effective Kenyan Foreign Service. It also positions the Academy to assume a more prominent role in shaping diplomatic capacity and strategic knowledge across Africa