Kenya’s first ambassador to the United States and first permanent representative to the United Nations, Mzee Nabii Nabwera, is dead, a source close to the family has confirmed.
Nabwera, an uncle to Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera, served in both diplomatic roles before rising to senior political positions, including Secretary-General of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) and Minister of State in the Office of the President.
He also served as Lugari Constituency’s first Member of Parliament following its creation in 1988, becoming a key figure in the constituency’s early political history.
His diplomatic career placed him among the Kenyans who represented the country on the international stage in the years following independence. As ambassador to the United States and Kenya’s permanent representative to the United Nations, he served at a time when the country was establishing its diplomatic presence and relationships with the wider world.
His subsequent rise within KANU, the ruling party for much of Kenya’s early post-independence period, and his appointment to the Office of the President reflected his involvement in the country’s national political leadership.
At the constituency level, his election as Lugari’s inaugural MP in 1988 marked the beginning of parliamentary representation for the newly established constituency, whose political and development trajectory would be shaped by successive leaders.
Nabwera’s career spanned diplomacy, party leadership, government, and parliamentary service, leaving behind a public record that connects Kenya’s early international engagements with the political history of Lugari and the wider Western Kenya region.
