Bushnell remained Deputy Assistant Secretary until being nominated by President Clinton to serve as Ambassador to Kenya in 1996. Upon confirmation by the United States Senate, Bushnell took up residence in Nairobi. Bushnell used her office to push Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi to institute democratic reforms and to root out corruption in his government, a major drag on Kenya's economy. Bushnell was also alarmed at the vulnerability of the U.S. embassy compound to attack. For over two years, she complained about security conditions to her superiors in Washington. In spite of Bushnell's request for a new building, a State Department evaluation team concluded that a renovation would suffice. Bushnell's fears proved to be well founded when on August 7, 1998 a car bomb was detonated next to the embassy by al-Qaeda agents.