Obama names Ranneberger successor

US ambassador Michael Ranneberger is about to call time on his tenure following the nomination of his successor by President Obama.

A statement from the White House Thursday indicated that the US President had nominated Scott Gration - his special envoy to Sudan as his new ambassador in Nairobi.

His elevation to the rank of ambassador now requires Senate confirmation.

Major General Scott Gration is credited with overseeing a smooth and peaceful referendum vote in which the people of Southern Sudan voted in favour of independence from the North.

The vote was considered an accomplishment for the US administration and its special envoy, who initially came under heavy criticism for the perception that he is too soft on Khartoum.

"We would like to stress that his departure in no way indicates that this administration is walking away from the many challenges we still face in Sudan, particularly in Darfur," the White House statement said.

No replacement for Major General Gration has been named but the Obama administration has in recent months added to its team in Sudan, naming veteran diplomat Princeton Lyman to help the north and the south work out key remaining issues including the division of oil profits and Dane Smith, another long-time US envoy, to work on the Darfur issue.

He has previously served as Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel and had a stint in the United States Air Force from 1974 to 2006.

Mr Ranneberger has been US representative to Kenya since July 31, 2006. Before his appointment, he was previously the Senior Representative

His tenure has not been without controversy. He has rubbed the government the wrong way on more than one occasion the most recent being revelations that he described Kenya as "a flourishing swamp of corruption". (Read: US envoys see Kenya as a ‘swamp’ of corruption.)

The claims were contained in leaked cables released by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks in November.

He accused President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga of doing nothing to end impunity.

The two principals hit back at the US envoy during their respective speeches on Jamhuri Day.

The President dared the schemers to try and topple his leadership, promising they would face the full force of his administration.

Mr Odinga said Kenya would not entertain people masquerading as friends during the day, but who turn into into enemies at night.

Only this month, Imenti North MP Silas Ruteere withdrew his motion to censure Mr Ranneberger after he realized that a majority of his colleagues would not back it.(Read: Kenya MP withdraws motion to censure US envoy.)

He wanted Parliament to censure the US envoy for allegedly meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.