The Cabinet has endorsed the establishment of an Embassy of the Republic of Kenya to the Vatican City.
According to a Cabinet despatch, the move seeks to strengthen diplomatic engagement with the Holy See and advance Kenya’s global, moral, and development diplomacy.
“The Vatican City, home to the Holy See and the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, holds significant influence in global peace, dialogue, and humanitarian affairs,” read part of the dispatch.
“A resident embassy will deepen bilateral relations, enhance collaboration in peace-building, climate action, humanitarian initiatives, and strengthen engagement with the Vatican’s global network of faith-based institutions,” it added.
The move, the Cabinet noted, will also boost cooperation with Catholic development agencies that run more than 7,700 schools and 500 health facilities in Kenya, supporting the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda through expanded partnerships in education, healthcare, and social welfare.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved the establishment of new embassies in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Hanoi (Vietnam) to expand Kenya’s diplomatic footprint, strengthen bilateral and trade relations, and advance the country’s strategic interests globally.
Dualling of Muthaiga-Kiambu-Ndumberi
The Cabinet also gave the green light to the dualling of the 23.5km Muthaiga-Kiambu-Ndumberi road to ease congestion and improve mobility between Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
The project will expand the existing two-lane highway into a dual carriageway, complete with bypasses, loops, and access roads to increase capacity and reduce travel times.
It will also incorporate non-motorised transport lanes and commuter facilities to enhance road safety and accessibility. Cabinet noted that the corridor, serving Muthaiga, Runda, Ridgeways, and Kiambu Town, currently experiences chronic traffic congestion, particularly during peak hours.
“The dualling is part of the government’s broader effort to modernise Nairobi’s metropolitan transport network in line with Kenya Vision 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals on infrastructure and mobility,” the cabinet noted.
