Jane Marriott Lands New Role After Exit As UK Ambassador To Kenya
Marriott was on Thursday, June 15 appointed to the lucrative position, replacing Christian Turner who stepped down as Pakistan envoy in January 2023 after a three-year stint.
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Former British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Mariott has been appointed as the new United Kingdom (UK) High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Marriott was on Thursday, June 15 appointed to the lucrative position, replacing Christian Turner who stepped down as Pakistan envoy in January 2023 after a three-year stint.
"Ms Jane Marriott OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in succession to Dr Christian Turner CMG who has transferred to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Ms Marriott will take up her appointment in July 2023," the UK government stated.
Former UK High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriot, during a past address. /FILE
"Delighted to be appointed as the next British High Commissioner to Pakistan!
"Great Britain and Pakistan are connected by heritage, strong people ties, climate cooperation & growing trade. Dosti & Commonwealth links can ensure a prosperous future," she tweeted.
The Government of the UK had previously announced that Dr Turner would be taking up his new role in London as Director General Geopolitical (Political Director) at the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) after his return from Pakistan where he was posted since December 2019.
"Over his three years as High Commissioner, Turner oversaw the UK’s COVID-19 repatriation efforts, welcomed a UK Foreign Secretary visit, lobbied for and secured direct flights from the UK to Pakistan, initiated a drive to double UK-Pakistan trade by 2025," the statement read.
The announcement came after Marriott announced on Wednesday, April 19 that she would relinquish her role as envoy to Kenya in June 2023 when her term is meant to expire.
She appreciated the four years she had served as the British envoy to the country, adding that she will miss Kenya enormously. Even though she urged Kenyans to keep tabs on her successor, Marriott hinted at another diplomatic assignment that she would take up in July.
"After four amazing years, my time in Kenya is up in June - I will miss Kenya and Kenyans enormously.
"Make sure to follow my successor and look out for more soon on what we achieve together. Tufaulu pamoja (we shall succeed together). I’ll be popping up in another role in July," she stated in part.
The United Kingdom Government in a statement announced that it selected Neil Wigan OBE as Marriott's replacement.
Wigan has held multiple roles, including ambassadorial roles in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and served the same role in Tel Aviv Israel prior to his recent appointment, which takes effect in July 2023.
Marriott was appointed to Kenya in 2019 and took over from Nic Hailey, becoming the first woman to be named a High Commissioner to Kenya.
Prior to her deployment to Kenya, she served as the director of the UK’s Joint International Counter-Terrorism Unit under FCO.
"In that role, she had responsibility for the overall design of the UK’s international counter-terrorism strategies, working with cross-Government and international stakeholders," read the statement in part.
Marriott's recent pivotal achievement was the UK's reduction of waiting times for visas to three weeks instead of the previous six, on Wednesday, January 25.
On Tuesday, June 6, President William Ruto bid her farewell while hosting her at State House, Nairobi, describing her as an ally of Kenya while wishing her the best in her future endeavours.
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