Ambassador of Ireland to Kenya
Caitríona Ingoldsby
Welcome message
Welcome to the website of the Embassy of Ireland in Kenya.
Karibuni sana.
Fáilte romhaibh go léir.
It is a great honour to have been appointed as the Ambassador of Ireland to Kenya. I look forward to strengthening the deep and historic relations between Ireland and Kenya over the years to come, and also increasing and strengthening the links with the Embassy’s countries of secondary accreditation, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.
Ireland and Kenya share many common values, including a strong commitment to peace and stability, education, youth empowerment and action on climate change.
For over 100 years, Irish missionaries, teachers and businesspeople have forged strong bonds with Kenya and have made vital contributions to the region. The Embassy of Ireland in Kenya is proud to contribute to the continuation of this legacy, and to work with the Irish community in Kenya who continue to forge new links between Ireland and Kenya today
A key role of the Embassy is to provide consular services to Irish citizens, to celebrate and promote our vibrant culture - sport, music, dance and poetry, including by supporting Irish community activities and organisations such as the Kenya Irish Society.
The Embassy works to promote Ireland as a country to trade with, invest in and visit for tourism or education purposes. Increasing demand for services and consumer products in Kenya provides opportunities for us to deepen our trade and investment relationship to the benefit of both countries. To this end, our Embassy works closely with Enterprise Ireland and the Business Ireland Kenya network.
As a country which overcame great challenges to become one of the world’s most open, globalised and dynamic economies, we are keen to share our experience with Kenya. We partner with Government agencies and ministries to provide financial and technical support in areas including agri-business and sustainable food systems, private sector development and in promoting science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) in secondary schools. The Embassy’s flagship programme is Young Scientists Kenya (YSK), an annual science competition in which students from all 47 counties in Kenya can participate.
The Embassy is proud to represent Ireland in the region and I am confident that we can continue to deepen our bonds with the Government of Kenya and people in a way that contributes sustainably to our nations.
I invite you to explore our site to learn more about our trade promotion and cultural exchange activities, our development cooperation programme, and our other engagements in Kenya and the region.
Please follow us on our social media sites on Facebook and @IrlEmbKenya and @IrlAmbKenya for regular updates.
You are also welcome to reach out to us with any enquiries or feedback – your engagement is invaluable to us.
Thank you. Asante Sana. Go raibh míle maith agaibh.
Caitríona Ingoldsby
Ambassador of Ireland to Kenya
Biography
A native of Dublin, Caitríona Ingoldsby joined Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs as Third Secretary in July 2001, and served initially in the United Nations, and Asia Sections of the Department’s Political Division, which included a temporary assignment to Ireland’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
In 2004, she was appointed Deputy Head of Mission at Ireland’s Consulate General in
Shanghai where she served for three years.
Following further HQ assignments in the Department’s Consular and Passport Division, and Irish Abroad Unit, in 2010 Caitríona was appointed Ireland’s Consul General in Sydney, Australia. Having served four years in Sydney she returned to Dublin and served as Director of the Department’s Consular Services Division, and Director of the Irish Abroad Unit.
In 2019, Caitríona was appointed Brexit Director at Ireland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels, working on all aspects of the UK withdrawal from the EU, including the negotiations of the Withdrawal Agreement, and the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
In August 2023, Caitríona became Ireland’s Ambassador to Kenya, and she is also Ireland’s nominated Ambassador to Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.
Caitríona holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Trinity College Dublin, and Master’s degrees in International Law, from Cambridge University and Trinity College Dublin. She is accompanied in Nairobi by her husband and two sons.