Tuesday, 15 Sep 2026 {HMC} U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Devin Kennington to serve as the new U.S. Ambassador to Somalia, as Washington moves to fill the ambassadorial post in Mogadishu, which has remained vacant since former Ambassador Richard H. Riley was recalled in late 2025.
Kennington’s nomination was included among a list of diplomatic appointments submitted by the White House to the U.S. Senate. According to the White House, Kennington has been nominated to serve as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” to the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Kennington would replace Richard H. Riley, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Somalia since 2024 but was recalled to Washington in December 2025 as the Trump administration carried out broad changes to U.S. embassies and diplomatic leadership.
Since Riley’s departure from Mogadishu, Justin Davis has served as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, as no new ambassador had been appointed.
Kennington’s nomination comes at a time when Somalia-U.S. relations are focused on broad cooperation, particularly in security, the fight against Al-Shabaab, stabilization efforts in Somalia, and regional affairs in the Horn of Africa.
Kennington is a career U.S. diplomat with extensive experience in the U.S. Foreign Service. His nomination would mark the first time in nearly nine months that Washington has moved to appoint a permanent ambassador to Mogadishu to formally represent the U.S. president.
However, Kennington’s nomination will not become final until it is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, in accordance with the U.S. process for appointing ambassadors.
