Career

1990s

Kirimi Peter Kaberia began his professional career in international journalism during the 1990s, reporting on issues involving Africa, American policy and international security.

Washington Times (1994)

• 5 October 1994 — Cited in the Nonproliferation Review for reporting on a US-South Africa agreement concerning missile production and non-proliferation.
• 28 November 1994 — Published "Africans Fear Aid Will Be Lowered by GOP in Congress," cited in a Cato Institute policy paper on US foreign aid.

These records establish that by 1994, Kaberia was producing journalism on questions involving Africa, American policy and international security.

Additional Archival Leads

Later biographical material describes assignments with:

• BBC in Africa — including reporting from the Somalia conflict
• Washington Post
• Work on African political economy, aid reform, trade and the African Unification Front

Africa's Economic Future (2002)

An archival record preserved by TrueValueMetrics identifies Africa's Economic Future as an essay by Peter Burgess and Kirimi Kaberia, prepared for an INR Roundtable on 19 April 2002. The ideas were framed around concepts supported by the African Trade Consultants Network.

Les Aspin Center for Government | Marquette University

Kaberia was associated with the Center's African leadership work while serving as Kenya's Ambassador to Brazil.

The programme had by 2011 reached hundreds of African government officials and NGO leaders, making this an important source for understanding his pre-diplomatic and diaspora-facing work.

Ambassador Plenipotentiary & Deputy Ambassador

Kaberia's diplomatic career encompassed two distinct roles: Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to Brazil with concurrent accreditation across South America, and Deputy Ambassador in postings across Europe and North America.

Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary

Served as Kenya's Ambassador to Brazil, with concurrent accreditation to:

• Brazil
• Argentina
• Chile
• Colombia
• Venezuela
• Uruguay
• Paraguay
• Peru

Deputy Ambassador

Served as Deputy Ambassador in diplomatic postings across Europe and North America:

• France
• Portugal
• Holy See (Vatican)
• Spain
• United States of America

Diplomatic Activities

Brazil (2011) — Embassy publications and Brazilian institutional material contain references to business, agriculture, tourism, technology and bilateral cooperation.

Colombia (2016) — A Colombian Foreign Ministry record refers to him as Kenya's Ambassador to Brazil, concurrently accredited to Colombia, shortly before his move into Kenya's defence administration.

Post-2016 – Present

Following his diplomatic service, Kaberia held successive Principal Secretary roles across four ministries before assuming his current position as Director General of the Foreign Service Academy.

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Defence | Post-2016

Served in Kenya's defence administration following his ambassadorial tenure, transitioning from diplomatic to national security governance.

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Mining | 2020

Responsible for policy and regulation in Kenya's petroleum and mining sector, covering natural resources, investment frameworks, and regulatory oversight.

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Sports, Arts & Culture | 2017–2020

Oversaw Kenya's sports, arts and cultural development agenda.

• 2017 IAAF World U18 Championships — Kenya hosted the event
• 2020 World U20 Championships — World Athletics subsequently awarded Nairobi the hosting rights
• WRC Safari Rally Return (2018–2019) — Led the Kenyan delegation that signed the Event Promotion Agreement with WRC Promoter in Paris on 22 June 2018, in the presence of FIA President Jean Todt. The agreement made the Safari Rally an official WRC Candidate Event. Oversaw the 2019 Candidate Event at Kasarani, where FIA delegates assessed Kenya's compliance. In September 2019, FIA officially reinstated the Safari Rally to the WRC calendar for 2020 — marking the championship's return to Africa for the first time since 2002.
• Sports Diplomacy — A diplomatic record from Kenya's Embassy in Japan documents an agreement involving Kurume/Fukuoka and preparations for Kenya's Olympic and Paralympic teams

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Industrialization, Investment and Trade | 2021–2023

Oversaw Kenya's industrialisation portfolio including special economic zones, manufacturing policy, investment promotion, and international trade partnerships.

National Defence College Lecture (November 2021) — A lecture to a senior strategic course while serving as Principal Secretary for Industrialization, Investment and Trade.

Japan-Kenya Business Dialogue (July 2022) — The Third Japan-Kenya Business Dialogue included discussion of the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone and brought together Kenyan and Japanese government, investment, development and business institutions. The record identifies Kaberia in the proceedings.

Director General, Foreign Service Academy

June 2023 — The Kenya School of Government's bulletin records an Operationalization of the Foreign Service Institute Academy workshop led by Ambassador Kirimi Kaberia, Director General of the Foreign Service Academy. The bulletin describes discussion of the Academy's role in preparing diplomats for a changing international environment.

December 2023 — A report on President William Ruto's meeting with newly appointed envoys identifies Kaberia as Director-General of the Foreign Service Academy and reports that the envoys had undergone training at the Academy before deployment.

Kaberia's career unfolds across four distinct but interconnected phases — from the newsroom to the negotiating table to senior government administration.