Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called on US President Donald Trump to appoint a tough ambassador to Kenya with the qualities of Smith Hempstone.

Hempstone served as US ambassador to Kenya from 1989 until 1983 and is credited with forcefully championing democratic ideals during the Moi era.

Gachagua argued that such a decision would be in the best interest of Kenya as Nairobi faces possible diplomatic fallout with Washington.

Speaking on Wednesday, August 6, during the official opening of the Midwest Chapter of the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) in Kansas City, Gachagua accused President William Ruto’s administration of grave human rights abuses and warned that Kenya risks losing its strategic alliance with the United States.

“We are hoping and we are appealing to the American government, and specifically President Donald Trump, that as he chooses an ambassador for Kenya, to consider an ambassador of the same caliber, thinking, and orientation as Smith Hempstone,” he said.

Gachagua urged Kenyans living in the diaspora to lobby their Congress representatives ahead of a motion in the US Senate seeking to strip Kenya of its status as a Major Non-NATO Ally, which was granted in June 2024.

“These are some of the things that must find their way on the floor of the Senate here in the United States so that the American government can be well-acquainted with what is going on back at home,” he stated.

Kenya is facing a potential diplomatic fallout with the United States after Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Senator James Risch presented an amendment bill seeking a review of Kenya’s non-NATO ally status.

The Bill called for a detailed description of the relationship Kenya has with China, Russia, and Iran, including any engagements, agreements, or joint activities since June 24, 2024.

The U.S. envoy in Kenya remains under Chargé d’Affaires Marc Dillard following the resignation of Ambassador Meg Whitman on November 13, 2024, following Trump’s return to the White House.