Ethiopia has announced plans to shut down several of its embassies and consulates across the globe, with its Kenyan embassy among those to be affected.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali made the announcement on july 5, 2021 while addressing Ethiopian legislators.

More than 30 embassies and consulated have been earmarked by the Ethiopian government for closure as part of a cost cutting move.

The PM cited the country’s unstable economic situation as the reason for the move as Ethiopia is unable to sustain operations of the embassies in different countries.

“With the current situation Ethiopia is in, the country doesn’t need to have as many as 60 or so embassies and consulates,” Abiy said.

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He added that some diplomats in such countries as Kenya should return to Ethiopia and work as non-resident ambassarors from Addis Ababa.

He preferred such ambassarors to only make field trips to meet with officials but follow events in countries like Kenya through the media.

Abiy argued that the Ethiopian ambassador in Kenya meets the Kenyan foreign minister only as much as once in one or two years.

“The Ethiopian ambassador in Kenya probably meets the foreign minister once a year or in two years” he added.

Another cost cutting measure the PM proposed was his ministers to drive themselves to their destination instead of having to hire drivers to drive them around.