He began working for James Lyons, a merchant with connections with Halifax, Nova Scotia, and moved to the city in 1824 where he worked as Assistant manager at James Lyons and Co.[1] In 1827, he and his older brother, Thomas Kenny of Sherwood, opened their own company in Halifax, T. & E. Kenny - Dry Goods & Shipping.
Kinnear, James B. Duffus, William Cunard, John Tobin, George P. Mitchell and Jeremiah Nothup).
In 1841, he was appointed a Member of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia, becoming its president on 9 April 1856, replacing Michael Tobin, Jr.
Black, Mathers Byles Almon, Edward Binney, Captain W.W. Lyttleton, Colonel W.J.
Myers, S.A. White, James C. Cogswell, Henry Pryor, John Tobin, Robert Morrow, Alfred G. Jones, M.B.
In May 1867, Kenny was appointed to the Senate of Canada representing senatorial division of Nova Scotia.