United States President Donald Trump has nominated Henry T. Wooster to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Wooster is a distinguished American diplomat and a career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service, holding the rank of Minister-Counsellor. With more than three decades of diplomatic, security, and foreign policy experience, he has held senior leadership roles across the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and the Caribbean. He currently serves as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a position he assumed in June 2025. 

In Haiti, Wooster has led U.S. diplomatic efforts during a critical transitional period, reaffirming American diplomatic and material support for the country’s transition process. His appointment as Chargé d’Affaires reflected the confidence placed in his ability to manage complex political and security environments. 

Throughout his Foreign Service career, Wooster has held a series of high-profile assignments that have established him as a leading U.S. expert on Middle Eastern and security issues. Prior to his posting in Haiti, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France. Earlier, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission and subsequently as Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, where he played a pivotal role in managing one of Washington’s most important strategic partnerships in the Middle East. 

His extensive diplomatic portfolio also includes service as Political Counsellor at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan; Director for Central Asia at the National Security Council; and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command. Within the U.S. Department of State, he served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iran and Director of the Office of Iranian Affairs. These positions placed him at the forefront of U.S. engagement on some of the region’s most complex geopolitical challenges. He later served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Maghreb and Egypt in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. 

In November 2019, President Trump nominated Wooster to serve as the United States Ambassador to Jordan. Following Senate confirmation in August 2020, he arrived in Jordan in September of that year and formally presented his credentials in October 2020. During his tenure, which lasted until 2023, he oversaw diplomatic engagement on regional security, economic cooperation, and strategic partnership initiatives between Washington and Amman. 

Wooster’s academic foundation comprises a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and a Master of Arts from Yale University. In addition to his diplomatic career, he served as an officer in the United States Army Reserve from 1985 to 2009, further deepening his expertise at the intersection of diplomacy, security, and international affairs. 

Beyond his professional achievements, Wooster is recognised for his linguistic capabilities and cross-cultural expertise. He is fluent in French and Russian and possesses working knowledge of Arabic, Persian, and Aramaic, skills that have enhanced his effectiveness across a wide range of diplomatic assignments.