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Kenya is closing its embassy in Bern, Switzerland, as part of a government plan to trim its overseas missions.
The embassy confirmed the decision in a notice dated Monday, November 9, 2026. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei backed the move the next day.
The embassy will stop its consular services on November 30. Ambassador Fouzia Abass wrote that the government had ordered the closure. She told Kenyans that the mission will end its operations in Switzerland permanently.
Sing’Oei explained that his ministry is reviewing Kenya’s diplomatic network around the world. He said the government will shut some missions and open others to match its national priorities.
The change will reach thousands of people. An estimated 8,000 to 12,000 Kenyans live in Switzerland. Many of them depend on the Bern office for passport renewals and other official papers. Ambassador Abass has asked anyone who has already applied for key documents to collect them before November 30.
Those who applied after November 1 will receive separate instructions on how to get their processed papers. The government will soon announce where Kenyans in Switzerland can go for help.
Kenya will still have a foothold in the country. Its Permanent Mission in Geneva has operated since 1995. That office handles Kenya’s work with the United Nations and other international bodies.
The Bern embassy, by contrast, managed direct relations with the Swiss government.
The Bern post has a short history. It became a resident embassy on April 2, 2020, when Ambassador Andrew Kihurani presented his credentials.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the chancery on May 20, 2022. Kenya will keep its embassies in Brussels, Paris, and Berlin, which sit within easy reach of Switzerland.
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