Barbados High Commission, Kenya

On 7 April 2026, His Excellency William Alexander McDonald, High Commissioner of Barbados to Kenya with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of South Africa, presented his Letters of Credence to His Excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria. The High Commissioner was accompanied by Mr Jovan Reid, Deputy Chief of Mission.

On the margins of the visit, the High Commissioner held bilateral meetings with the resident Heads of Mission of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Haiti, to discuss areas of shared interest and Caribbean coordination on the African continent.

The High Commission looks forward to developing the bilateral relationship with South Africa across trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people ties. As part of its broader engagement across Eastern and Southern Africa, the Mission is also looking ahead to the appointment of Honorary Consuls in its non-resident accreditations, to further strengthen Barbados' presence in these jurisdictions.

Last Saturday, Barbados made its debut on the runway at Tribal Chic, East Africa’s longest-running fashion showcase, now in its 15th year at the Tribe Hotel, Nairobi.

Sponsored in part by the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Tribal Chic saw Barbadian designer Jin Forde of J. Angelique and Rian Codrington of Vida x Esquire bringing Caribbean craft and Crop Over energy to a platform that has spent fifteen years championing African creativity alongside select international brands.

The 2026 edition, themed The Four Elements, also featured designers from across the continent, bringing Barbadian culture, design, and lifestyle directly in front of Africa’s fashion, media, and luxury communities.

High Commissioner William Alexander McDonald presented his Letters of Credence to Advocate Duma Gideon Boko, President of the Republic of Botswana, on March 2nd, formally establishing Barbados’ diplomatic representation in Gaborone as a non-resident mission.

In the bilateral discussions that followed, President Boko commended the global leadership of Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, particularly noting Barbados’ advocacy for the Global South and international climate action. The two principals also reflected on shared objectives for the bilateral relationship, including economic diversification, joint actions on climate and drought, renewable energy cooperation, and the strengthening of people-to-people exchanges.

The event marked the first accreditation of a Barbadian High Commissioner to the Republic of Botswana, occurring as both nations celebrate their 60th anniversary as independent states this year.

The Barbados High Commission in Nairobi invites suitably qualified companies to apply for pre-qualification to provide Travel Agent Services and Rental Car Services.

Interested firms may download the full pre-qualification documents below:
• Travel Agent Services: https://buff.ly/2fJwYa9
• Rental Car Services: https://buff.ly/ddfaVX9

Applications must be submitted in accordance with the instructions contained in the respective documents by 6 March 2026.

After months of preparation, the High Commission is pleased to announce our relocation to new premises in Nairobi. Our modern chancery pays homage to Barbados and celebrates the work of young Barbadian creatives whose contributions are woven throughout the space.

Our presence across East Africa and Southern Africa continues to grow. This chancery is designed to match it and to support the relationships that define our work on the continent.

Effective February 2026, the chancery also serves as the Africa and GCC regional headquarters for the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), marking a significant expansion of Barbados' institutional footprint in two of the world's most dynamic markets.

UNEA-7 wrapped up in Nairobi last week with meaningful progress for small island developing states and the Caribbean. The Honourable Adrian Forde, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, led Barbados' delegation in contributing to three critical outcomes.

The Assembly formally recognised the sargassum blooms devastating Caribbean and West African coasts, triggering UNEP support for national action plans and early warning systems. New commitments will accelerate coral reef protection through enhanced monitoring and conservation guidance. And a groundbreaking resolution addresses antimicrobial resistance from an environmental lens, targeting pollution at its source. Scaled-up resources through the AMR Multi-Partner Trust Fund will also support developing countries' implementation.

Eleven resolutions, three decisions, and a Ministerial Declaration later, multilateralism prevailed.

Barbados looks forward to working closely with Ministers Matthew Samuda of Jamaica and Dr Joyelle Clarke of St. Kitts & Nevis, following their election as President and Vice-President, respectively, for UNEA-8.

On November 8th, we partnered with the We Run Nairobi running club for a special activation with one promise: the fastest finishers would earn a trip to Barbados to compete in the Run Barbados Marathon.

Last weekend, that promise came alive. Frederick Ng’eno didn't just compete; he finished on the podium. Solomon Supeet and Faith Muchangi joined him, representing Kenya on the Caribbean's most scenic course.

But this was more than a race. It was the full Barbados experience: warm Caribbean waters aboard Cool Runnings Catamaran, sunset dining at Champers restaurant, the ancient wonder of Harrison's Cave, and the legendary hospitality of the Wyndham Grand Barbados.

Three Kenyan runners. One unforgettable island. A friendship between two nations that runs deep. Congratulations to our champions. Barbados was honoured to host you.

High Commissioner McDonald joined global leaders this week at a UNEA-7 side-event to discuss responsible AI for people and planet.

Co-organised by UNEP and the governments of Estonia, Kenya and Italy, the panel featured Estonia's Deputy Climate Minister Kristi Klaas, Microsoft AI for Good's Dr. Girmaw Abebe Tadesse, and iX Africa CEO Snehar Shah.

Barbados' position, guided by , is that SIDS are innovating. The Hypervisor - a 3D climate risk mapping tool developed by the Government of Barbados with the support of IFC- visualises storm surge, flooding, and seismic hazards to guide resilient infrastructure. AI-powered crop disease detection, piloted with UWI Cave Hill, achieved 92% accuracy and cut losses by 25%. AI-powered underwater drones are also being deployed regionally to monitor coral reef health.

But barriers remain, such as fragmented data, skills shortages, and the debt-climate trap the Bridgetown Initiative addresses. The key takeaway of the talk was that AI holds promise, but only with equitable access and local capacity.

The Mission was pleased to join the Kenya Travel Industry Business Awards (KeTIBA) last Friday to celebrate and recognise excellence and innovation across Kenya’s travel sector.

Represented by the Deputy Head of Mission and the Mission’s Culture & Diaspora leads, we also had the privilege of presenting the award for Best Payment Gateway to PesaPal, one of the event’s distinguished awardees.

An initiative of the Kenya Association of Travel Agents, the event provided another valuable opportunity to engage with leading travel industry partners who continue to shape Kenya’s dynamic and growing outbound market. Over the course of this year, the Mission has significantly strengthened its relationships with Kenya’s travel trade and advanced efforts to position Destination Barbados prominently within the market - building a solid platform for even deeper collaboration ahead of the opening of the Nairobi-based BTMI Headquarters for Africa and the Middle East in 2026.

Part 2 | Last week, our Caribbean family, the diplomatic community, and friends of Barbados across East Africa joined us to mark 59 years of independence and 4 years as a parliamentary republic.

As we began the journey toward our Diamond Jubilee, there was much to reflect on and even more to celebrate. The Mission’s footprint on the continent continues to expand: new bilateral accreditations deepening our presence across Africa, enhanced Destination Barbados visibility across several verticals and spaces in East Africa, labour mobility frameworks on stream with Kenya, a growing community of importers keen on Barbadian products, the establishment of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.’s headquarters for the MEA region within our Mission, a thriving Barbados-Kenya Joint Commission for Cooperation, and the goodwill of our political leadership to further deepen Africa-Caribbean relations.

We value the connections that we have built in this region, and we truly enjoyed curating this celebration to cap off a rewarding year with our partners.

Last week, our Caribbean family, the diplomatic community, and friends of Barbados across East Africa joined us to mark 59 years of independence and 4 years as a parliamentary republic.

As we began the journey toward our Diamond Jubilee, there was much to reflect on and even more to celebrate. The Mission's footprint on the continent continues to expand: new bilateral accreditations deepening our presence across Africa, enhanced Destination Barbados visibility across several verticals and spaces in East Africa, labour mobility frameworks on stream with Kenya, a growing community of importers keen on Barbadian products, the establishment of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.'s headquarters for the MEA region within our Mission, a thriving Barbados-Kenya Joint Commission for Cooperation, and the goodwill of our political leadership to further deepen Africa-Caribbean relations.

We value the connections that we have built in this region, and we truly enjoyed curating this celebration to cap off a rewarding year with our partners.