Sri Lanka has renewed the appointment of Prageeth Seneviratne as its Honorary Consul in Mombasa, Kenya.
The Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Kenya, Ruvini De Silva, formally handed over the renewed appointment in Nairobi on 2 October, the Daily Mirror reported.
Who the appointee is
Seneviratne is a long-standing resident of Mombasa and a Director at EFL Logistics. In the renewed role he will continue to represent Sri Lanka’s interests in Kenya’s coastal region, assisting Sri Lankan nationals there and working to strengthen trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people links between the two countries.
Why Mombasa
The renewal reflects the importance Sri Lanka places on maintaining a presence in Mombasa, which the report describes as one of East Africa’s most important commercial and maritime gateways.
Mombasa is Kenya’s principal seaport and the main maritime entry point for much of East and Central Africa, which gives it relevance to Sri Lankan shipping, logistics and export interests.
Context
Honorary Consuls are not career diplomats. They are typically locally resident figures appointed to provide consular assistance and promote commercial ties in cities where a country has no resident mission. Sri Lanka’s diplomatic representation in Kenya is based at its High Commission in Nairobi.
The report did not state the term of the renewed appointment or when Seneviratne was first appointed.