Cabinet gives green light to establish embassies in Vatican City, Denmark, Vietnam

The Cabinet has approved the establishment of an Embassy of the Republic of Kenya to the Vatican City as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s diplomatic engagement with the Holy See.

According to a Cabinet despatch issued on Tuesday, the government says a resident mission in the Vatican will deepen bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in peace-building, climate action, and humanitarian initiatives.

The Vatican, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, is considered a key global actor in dialogue, mediation, and humanitarian affairs.

Cabinet noted that the embassy will also boost Kenya’s collaboration with Catholic development agencies, which currently operate more than 7,700 schools and 500 health facilities across the country.

The government says expanded partnerships in education, healthcare, and social welfare will support the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

In the same meeting, Cabinet approved the establishment of two additional embassies in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Hanoi, Vietnam.

The government says the new missions will broaden Kenya’s diplomatic footprint, strengthen bilateral and trade relations, and advance the country’s strategic interests globally.

“To further strengthen devolution and improve service delivery, Cabinet approved the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes to split the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill into two separate laws to speed up the disbursement of funds to county governments,” read the dispatch.

“The amendment seeks to resolve delays in enacting the annual Additional Allocations Act, which has, in the past, disrupted service delivery and slowed development at the county level. Under the proposed reform, Parliament will consider two separate Bills, one for allocations from the National Government’s share of revenue, and another for allocations financed through loans and grants from development partners.”

It added: “This change is expected to enhance efficiency in public finance management, improve service delivery, and strengthen devolution by ensuring timely transfers to county governments.”