Presentation of Credentials Ceremony 29 August 2023

The following foreign Heads of Mission presented their credentials to President Halimah Yacob in separate ceremonies at the Istana today:

(a)         The Ambassadorof the Republic of Panama

His Excellency Enrique Villegas González R.

(b)        The High Commissioner of the Republic of Kenya

His Excellency Galma Mukhe Boru

(c)         The High Commissioner of the Republic of Botswana

His Excellency Dr Batlang Comma Serema

Their bio summaries are attached.

HIS EXCELLENCY Enrique Villegas González R.

AMBASSADOR TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Ambassador Villegas González was Vice-President of Engineering and Projects at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, prior to his appointment as Panama’s Ambassador to Singapore. Prior to this role, Ambassador Villegas González has held positions in various companies at the management level in the construction sector, including running his own design and construction business.

Ambassador Villegas González graduated from the Universidad Santa María La Antigua (USMA) in Panama City, with a Bachelor of Science in Structural Architecture. He has also pursued postgraduate studies in Construction Management at USMA, and Airport Management at ITAérea Aeronautical Business School in Madrid, Spain.

Ambassador Villegas González has extensive and outstanding experience in social service and volunteering.  He was a member of Active 20-30 Club, an international service club dedicated to helping children with social problems. He was the Panama Club President for the period 2014 to 2015 and was in charge of the most recognised fundraising function in Panama that year.

Ambassador Villegas González is married with three children.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

HIS EXCELLENCY GALMA MUKHE BORU

HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF KENYA

High Commissioner Boru has spent his career in the Kenyan public service. He began at the Ministry of Planning and National Development as an economist and statistician before becoming a diplomat. He was Charge d’Affairs a.i. at the Kenyan Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda; Deputy High Commissioner at the Kenyan High Commission in Lusaka, Zambia; Deputy Head of Multilateral Organisations and Conferences Directorate in Nairobi; First Secretary and Deputy High Commissioner of Kenya in London, the United Kingdom; Acting Director of Administration in Nairobi; Deputy Chief of Mission at the Kenyan Embassy in Washington DC, the United States; Ambassador of Kenya to Qatar (September 2010 – December 2018); Director of the Americas and Caribbean Directorate in Nairobi; and Director at the Foreign Service Academy in Nairobi. He has been Ambassador of Kenya to Indonesia since November 2022, and will be concurrently accredited to Singapore from 29 August 2023.

For his exemplary public service, High Commissioner Boru was awarded Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) and Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS) by then-Presidents of Kenya Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta in 2011 and 2021 respectively.

High Commissioner Boru has a Masters in International Relations and postgraduate diploma in Diplomacy from SOAS, University of London; a certificate in strategic and public policy formulation from the National Defence College of Kenya in Nairobi; and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Nairobi. He is married with five children.

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore

HIS EXCELLENCY DR. BATLANG COMMA SEREMA

HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE

REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA

Dr Batlang Comma Serema is the current High Commissioner-Designate to Singapore from the Republic of Botswana. Born in 1965, in Tonota, Botswana, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Botswana, a Master of Science in Information Analysis from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, and a PhD in Library and Information Studies from University College London, UK. Prior to his appointment as Botswana High Commissioner to Singapore, High Commissioner Serema served as Botswana High Commissioner to Namibia from 2020 to 2022.

High Commissioner Serema has made substantial contributions to his nation. He served as an Assistant District Officer at the Ministry of Local Government and Lands from 1991 to 1994, followed by roles as Senior Research Officer in the Parliament of Botswana and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of Botswana from 1994 to 2020. Notably, he has held leadership positions such as Vice President of the Botswana Football Association, Chairman of the Botswana National Youth Council Agricultural Enterprise, and Executive Secretary of the Botswana Democratic Party.

High Commissioner Serema is also the Founder and Non-Executive Director of the Information Academy and the author of the insightful publication "Renewed Hope: Botswana under Masisi" (2019).

Photo Credit: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore