Whitman also emphasised her efforts in fostering American investment in Kenya, which she said had opened doors for more U.S. companies to do business there.
"When I arrived in 2022, I prioritised expanding these ties with my 'Why Africa, Why Kenya?' presentation to American companies and entrepreneurs. Trade, jobs, and U.S. investment in Kenya are at historic highs due to these efforts."
She added that consular services had been expanded, with visa appointment wait times for nonimmigrant visas reduced from over two years to about two months.
During her tenure, Whitman focused on commercial diplomacy, presenting Kenya as an investment destination to US businesses.
She praised President William Ruto's leadership, describing him as "very strong, smart, strategic, and someone who gets things done," citing his vision for elevating Kenya to upper-middle-income status by 2030.
Whitman's outreach extended beyond national concerns, as she highlighted opportunities for investment in Kenya's counties.
Commercial diplomacy
Indeed, during her shortlived stint, Whitman has seemed more inclined towards commercial diplomacy, selling Kenya to American businesses as an investment destination.
She had assurances for potential investors that President Ruto, with whom she had established a strong chemistry, was "very strong, smart, strategic, and someone who gets things done."
"He understands that economic growth and development is the way forward and has set a vision for accelerating Kenya's drive to achieve upper middle-income country status by 2030," Whitman said in a letter inviting entrepreneurs to the American Chamber of Commerce Regional Business Summit held in Nairobi in March 2023.
The business executive did not limit her marketing of Kenya to the national level, going beyond to highlight the opportunities in counties.
A month after the Kenyan polls, the US ambassador was among a host of development partners who met the seven newly elected women governors, promising support for the development of counties.
In the months that followed, Whitman walked the talk, wooing US investors into the country. In November last year, she attended the groundbreaking event for a pyrethrum processing plant in Nakuru county and facilitated a forum between Governor Susan Kihika-led county and American and other investors.
Three months later, Whitman was Governor Gladys Wanga's guest in Homa Bay during an investment conference, pushing for American businesses to explore the county.
Among the sectors she identified as open for investments include agriculture, agribusiness, health, education, the blue economy and tourism.
It was always clear that Whitman would focus on what she knew best - business. Indeed, as she would tell a local publication, Biden appointed her to the role courtesy of her acumen and networks.
Whitman's business acumen, honed over a career that included leadership roles at Hewlett-Packard, eBay, and Disney, made her a fitting choice for her role.
With an estimated net worth of $3.8 billion, Whitman ranks among the wealthiest women in the world and has featured in Forbes's list of the 100 most powerful women worldwide.
Her political experience includes a 2010 run for California governor on the Republican ticket, although she lost to Democrat Jerry Brown. In 2008, The New York Times speculated that Whitman might be one of the first women to become U.S. president.
Whitman is married to Griffith Harsh, a neurosurgeon, and together they have two sons and two grandchildren.