U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Devin Kennington as the new U.S. Ambassador to Somalia, as Washington moves to fill the ambassadorial post in Mogadishu, which has been vacant since the recall of former Ambassador Richard H. Riley in late 2025.
Kennington’s nomination was included in a list of diplomatic appointments submitted by the White House to the U.S. Senate. According to White House records, Kennington has been nominated for the position of “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” to the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Kennington will succeed Richard H. Riley, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Somalia starting in 2024 but was recalled to Washington in December 2025 amidst broad changes to U.S. embassies and diplomatic leadership implemented by the Trump administration.
Since Riley’s departure from Mogadishu, Justin Davis has served as the Acting Head of the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, as no new diplomat had been appointed to the ambassadorial role.
Kennington’s nomination comes at a time when relations between Somalia and the United States are grounded in multifaceted cooperation, particularly regarding security, the fight against Al-Shabaab, the stabilization of Somalia, and affairs in the Horn of Africa region. Kennington is a career diplomat with the U.S. Foreign Service; his nomination means that, for the first time in nearly nine months, Washington is preparing to send an ambassador to Mogadishu to officially represent the U.S. President.
However, Kennington’s appointment is not final until confirmed by the U.S. Senate, in accordance with the country’s ambassadorial confirmation process.
