Carla Benini, a former journalist, has been discreetly appointed as the new acting US ambassador to Kenya, taking over as Chargé d'Affaires from Marc Dillard in July 2025. She now heads the largest US embassy in sub-Saharan Africa.

• Carla Benini served as a Senior Editor at Northstar Travel Media from 1993 to 2003 after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from Penn State University.
• Her diplomatic career began in 2004 at the US Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, followed by postings in Brazil, Afghanistan, India, Uganda, and Belgium.
• She joined the US Department of State in Washington, DC, in September 2020, and her assignment in Kenya began in August 2023 as Counselor for Public Affairs before her ascendance to Chargé d'Affaires in July 2025.