Australian High Commission Kenya

What Australian High Commission Kenya does

The Australian High Commission Kenya is a government diplomatic mission of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), headquartered in Nairobi with a staff of 58. It represents Australia in Kenya and is accredited to Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as to the East African Community (EAC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). The mission serves Australian citizens abroad through consular protection, passport issuance, notarial services, and emergency assistance, and administers visa and citizenship pathways via the Department of Home Affairs' ImmiAccount platform. A new chancery building was opened on 21 February 2023, and the High Commissioner is Ms Jenny Da Rin.

Its service portfolio spans consular services (passports, notarial acts, consular assistance, Smartraveller travel advisories), immigration (visa and citizenship guidance plus Papua New Guinea visa issuance), development cooperation (Direct Aid Program grants up to AUD 60,000 per project, Australia Awards scholarships, Australian Volunteers Program), and trade and investment facilitation via Austrade Nairobi. The mission also channels significant development research funding through ACIAR, including the AU$76.4 million Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive Agriculture (2024-2030) and the AU$3.65 million MKUKI-Kwale agribusiness initiative with Business for Development, Kwale County Government, KALRO, Pwani University, and the PAVI Farmers' Cooperative. Distribution is delivered through the Nairobi headquarters, Honorary Consulates in Kampala and Dar es Salaam, and digital self-service platforms (Setmore for appointments, SmartyGrants for DAP applications).

As a government_state_entity, the High Commission operates under DFAT appropriations and does not generate commercial revenue. Pricing for consular services (passport fees, notarial fees) is governed by the Consular Fees Act 1955 and payable in AUD, KSH, and USD via MPESA, bank transfer, or credit/debit card. Its customer base comprises Australian citizens abroad, visa and citizenship applicants, eligible NGOs and development organisations applying for DAP grants, and Australian businesses pursuing East Africa market entry. Technology stack consists of standard government platforms — ImmiAccount, Setmore, SmartyGrants — with no proprietary AI or technology systems disclosed.

Name

Australian High Commission Kenya

Legal name

Australian High Commission, Nairobi

Website

https://kenya.highcommission.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Australian High Commission Kenya is a DFAT diplomatic mission in Nairobi delivering consular, visa, trade, and development cooperation services to Australian citizens, visa applicants, NGOs, and Australian businesses across East Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diplomatic and Consular Services

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Consular Services & Citizen Assistance (BPAIAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

Keywords

• Consular services
• Diplomatic mission
• Passport services
• Development cooperation
• Humanitarian assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Diplomatic Services: As a government diplomatic mission, the Australian High Commission operates under government appropriations and does not generate commercial revenue. Services include consular assistance, notarial services, passport issuance, and visa facilitation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Australian High Commission in Kenya is an official diplomatic mission of the Australian Government that delivers consular services to Australian citizens (passports, notarial acts, consular assistance), facilitates Australian visa and citizenship processing via the Department of Home Affairs, administers development cooperation and humanitarian assistance programs (Direct Aid Program grants up to AUD 60,000, Australia Awards scholarships, Australian Volunteers Program, ACIAR agricultural research), and supports trade and investment between Australia and East Africa through Austrade.

Product overview

The Australian High Commission Kenya is a diplomatic mission providing consular and governmental services rather than a commercial product company. Its service portfolio includes Passport Services (child and adult passports, renewals, emergency passports), Notarial Services (document certification, apostilles, authentication), Consular Assistance, Smartraveller travel advisory, Visas and Citizenship guidance (managed by Department of Home Affairs), Direct Aid Program (DAP) grants up to AUD 60,000 for development projects, Development Cooperation programs including Australia Awards and Australian Volunteers, Humanitarian Assistance, Austrade trade facilitation, Study in Australia promotion, ACIAR agricultural research partnerships, and Papua New Guinea visa issuance. These services are delivered through external government portals (ImmiAccount, SmartyGrants, Setmore) and operate as individual government service offerings rather than an integrated product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Passport Services

Quantifiable outcome

• AU$3.65M agribusiness initiative benefiting hundreds of smallholder farmers in Kwale County over 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Africa-Australia Partnership for Climate Responsive AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Six-year A$76.4M initiative co-funded by ACIAR and DFAT, beginning 2024, designed to strengthen climate resilience of African farming systems and support food security through collaborative research and capacity development.
• Business for DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023Lead partner in AU$3.65M MKUKI-Kwale agribusiness research initiative. Incorporates social sciences, value chains, and bio-physical research to develop evidence-based tools for smallholder farmers in Kwale County.
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023Government agency brokering and supporting collaborative international agricultural research. Currently investing AU$8.2M across 26 projects in 11 African countries including Kenya.
• Kwale County GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023Local government partner in MKUKI-Kwale agribusiness project, providing local context and support for smallholder farming communities.
• Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023National agricultural research organization providing technical expertise for the MKUKI-Kwale project.
• Pwani UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023Academic partner in MKUKI-Kwale project contributing research capabilities to the agribusiness initiative.
• PAVI Farmers' CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2023Cooperative of smallholder farmers in Kwale County who are the primary beneficiaries of the MKUKI-Kwale project.
• Base Titanium LimitedminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 May 2023Australian mineral sands producer located in Kwale County providing support for the MKUKI-Kwale project.
• Cotton On GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 May 2023Australia's largest global retailer providing support for the MKUKI-Kwale project.
• Australia Awards in AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScholarship program combining Masters, Fellowships and Short Course opportunities building skills in climate change, agriculture, mining, energy, foreign policy, and gender inclusion.
• Australian Volunteers ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatches skilled Australians with organisations in partner countries for capacity development. From 2018-2022, supported 107 volunteers in 44 partner organisations in Africa.
• Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency supporting collaborative international research to improve livelihoods in agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors. Active in Eastern and Southern Africa for over 30 years.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• U.S. Embassy Nairobi: U.S. diplomatic mission in Kenya covering a broad East Africa portfolio with consular, visa, USAID development, and PEPFAR-style health programs. Operates at larger scale but with an analogous mandate to the Australian High Commission.
• German Embassy Nairobi: Germany's bilateral diplomatic mission in Kenya delivering consular, visa, GIZ development cooperation, and cultural programming. Comparable in combining a strong consular service function with substantial development programming in the region.
• Embassy of Japan in Kenya: Japan's bilateral mission running JICA development programs, consular services, and trade promotion across East Africa. Operates a similar combination of ODA-funded development cooperation and citizen services that mirrors the Australian High Commission portfolio.
• South African High Commission Nairobi: Africa's leading regional diplomatic player in Nairobi providing consular, trade, and development engagement. Operates as another Commonwealth-model high commission serving multiple countries from a single Nairobi base.
• Canadian High Commission in Kenya: Canada's Commonwealth peer mission in Nairobi providing consular, visa, trade commissioner, and development programming (via Global Affairs Canada) across East Africa. Directly comparable in mandate and scale to the Australian High Commission.
• Embassy of France in Kenya: France's diplomatic mission in Kenya providing consular, AFD-funded development cooperation, trade, and cultural programming across a comparable regional footprint. Comparable in combining bilateral aid delivery with citizen services.
• British High Commission Nairobi: UK's equivalent diplomatic mission in Kenya, accredited to the same East African countries and providing parallel consular, visa processing via UKVI, trade (DFT/DIT) and development (FCDO) services. Closest structural twin to the Australian High Commission Kenya.
• New Zealand High Commission Nairobi: Closest geographic and cultural diplomatic ally with a comparable small-team model covering East Africa from Nairobi, including MFAT-funded development and scholarships. Highly relevant peer given shared Commonwealth governance patterns and similar size.
• High Commission of India, Nairobi: India's Commonwealth peer mission to Kenya, also accredited across multiple East African states, offering consular, visa, ITEC training scholarships and development assistance. Highly comparable in the combined trade-development-consular remit.

Broad incumbents

• European Union Delegation to Kenya: EU's multilateral counterpart operating alongside member-state embassies, running large-scale development programming and diplomatic engagement across Kenya and the EAC. Comparable mandate on development and policy engagement but multilateral rather than bilateral.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AusHCKenya
• Facebookfacebook.com/AusHCKenya
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-high-commission-kenya
• Instagraminstagram.com/aushckenya

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian High Commission Kenya