diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index be17da5c5..10bb27495 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@
 		"onCommand:openshift.explorer.refresh",
 		"onCommand:openshift.componentTypesView.refresh",
 		"onCommand:openshift.project.create",
+		"onCommand:openshift.project.set",
 		"onCommand:openshift.project.delete",
 		"onCommand:openshift.project.delete.palette",
 		"onCommand:openshift.component.openCreateComponent",
@@ -250,6 +251,22 @@
 		"onWalkthrough:serverlessFunctionWalkthrough"
 	],
 	"contributes": {
+		"configurationDefaults": {
+			"vs-kubernetes": {
+				"vs-kubernetes.disable-context-info-status-bar": true,
+				"vs-kubernetes.disable-namespace-info-status-bar": true
+			}
+		},
+		"icons": {
+			"current-context": {
+				"description": "context",
+				"default":"selection"
+			},
+			"project-node": {
+				"description": "project node",
+				"default":"project"
+			}
+		},
 		"commands": [
 			{
 				"command": "openshift.about",
@@ -1632,7 +1649,12 @@
 				{
 					"command": "openshift.project.create",
 					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem == openshift.k8sContext && canCreateNamespace",
-					"group": "c1"
+					"group": "c1@1"
+				},
+				{
+					"command": "openshift.project.set",
+					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem == openshift.k8sContext && canCreateNamespace",
+					"group": "c1@2"
 				},
 				{
 					"command": "openshift.explorer.logout",
@@ -1654,10 +1676,20 @@
 					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem =~ /openshift.project.*/i && isLoggedIn",
 					"group": "p2"
 				},
+				{
+					"command": "openshift.project.set",
+					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem =~ /openshift.project.*/i && canCreateNamespace",
+					"group": "p3@1"
+				},
 				{
 					"command": "openshift.project.delete",
 					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem =~ /openshift.project.*.can-delete/i",
-					"group": "p3"
+					"group": "p3@2"
+				},
+				{
+					"command": "openshift.project.set",
+					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem =~ /openshift.project.*/i && canCreateNamespace",
+					"group": "inline"
 				},
 				{
 					"command": "openshift.component.describe",
@@ -1775,11 +1807,6 @@
 					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && viewItem == openshift.openConfigFile",
 					"group": "inline"
 				},
-				{
-					"command": "openshift.project.set",
-					"when": "view == openshiftProjectExplorer && (viewItem == openshift.k8sContext || viewItem =~ /openshift.project.*/i) && canCreateNamespace",
-					"group": "inline"
-				},
 				{
 					"command": "openshift.component.revealInExplorer",
 					"when": "view == openshiftComponentsView && viewItem =~ /openshift\\.component.*/",
@@ -2087,6 +2114,21 @@
 				"order": 1,
 				"title": "OpenShift Toolkit",
 				"properties": {
+					"openshiftToolkit": {
+						"type": "object",
+						"title": "Additional settings",
+						"description": "OpenShift Toolkit configuration",
+						"properties": {
+							"openshiftToolkit.disable-context-info-status-bar": {
+								"type": "boolean",
+								"description": "Disable displaying the current Kubernetes context in VS Code's status bar."
+							},
+							"openshiftToolkit.disable-namespace-info-status-bar": {
+								"type": "boolean",
+								"description": "Disable displaying the active namespace in VS Code's status bar."
+							}
+						}
+					},
 					"openshiftToolkit.showWelcomePage": {
 						"type": "boolean",
 						"default": true,
diff --git a/src/explorer.ts b/src/explorer.ts
index 1dce6be35..d2d152f38 100644
--- a/src/explorer.ts
+++ b/src/explorer.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ export class OpenShiftExplorer implements TreeDataProvider<ExplorerItem>, Dispos
     readonly onDidChangeTreeData: Event<ExplorerItem | undefined> = this
         .eventEmitter.event;
 
+    public onDidChangeContextEmitter = new EventEmitter<string>();
+
     private constructor() {
         try {
             this.kubeConfig = new KubeConfigUtils();
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@ export class OpenShiftExplorer implements TreeDataProvider<ExplorerItem>, Dispos
                         || this.kubeContext.user !== newCtx.user
                         || this.kubeContext.namespace !== newCtx.namespace)) {
                     this.refresh();
+                    this.onDidChangeContextEmitter.fire(newCtx.name);
                 }
                 this.kubeContext = newCtx;
                 this.kubeConfig = ku2;
@@ -234,6 +237,7 @@ export class OpenShiftExplorer implements TreeDataProvider<ExplorerItem>, Dispos
             } catch (err) {
                 // ignore because ether server is not accessible or user is logged out
             }
+            OpenShiftExplorer.getInstance().onDidChangeContextEmitter.fire(new KubeConfigUtils().currentContext);
         } else if ('name' in element) { // we are dealing with context here
             // user is logged into cluster from current context
             // and project should be show as child node of current context
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index 6bac3b26e..47223ee66 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ import { ServerlessFunctionView } from './serverlessFunction/view';
 import { startTelemetry } from './telemetry';
 import { ToolsConfig } from './tools';
 import { TokenStore } from './util/credentialManager';
-import { setKubeConfig } from './util/kubeUtils';
+import { KubeConfigUtils, setKubeConfig } from './util/kubeUtils';
+import { Context as KcuContext } from '@kubernetes/client-node/dist/config_types';
 import { Platform } from './util/platform';
 import { setupWorkspaceDevfileContext } from './util/workspace';
 import { registerCommands } from './vscommand';
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import { WelcomePage } from './welcomePage';
 import { registerYamlHandlers } from './yaml/yamlDocumentFeatures';
 
 import fsx = require('fs-extra');
+import { Oc } from './oc/ocWrapper';
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-empty-function
 // this method is called when your extension is deactivated
@@ -79,6 +81,13 @@ export async function activate(extensionContext: ExtensionContext): Promise<unkn
 
     const crcStatusItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left);
     crcStatusItem.command = 'openshift.explorer.stopCluster';
+
+    const activeNamespaceStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 1);
+    activeNamespaceStatusBarItem.command = 'openshift.project.set';
+
+    const activeContextStatusBarItem = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 2);
+    activeContextStatusBarItem.command = 'openshift.explorer.switchContext';
+
     const disposable = [
         ...(await registerCommands(
             './k8s/route',
@@ -99,6 +108,8 @@ export async function activate(extensionContext: ExtensionContext): Promise<unkn
             commands.executeCommand('extension.vsKubernetesUseNamespace', context),
         ),
         crcStatusItem,
+        activeNamespaceStatusBarItem,
+        activeContextStatusBarItem,
         OpenShiftExplorer.getInstance(),
         new DebugSessionsView().createTreeView('openshiftDebugView'),
         ...Component.init(),
@@ -182,7 +193,7 @@ export async function activate(extensionContext: ExtensionContext): Promise<unkn
     }
 
     function createStatusBarItem(context: ExtensionContext) {
-        const item = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 1);
+        const item = window.createStatusBarItem(StatusBarAlignment.Left, 3);
         item.command = 'openshift.openStatusBar';
         context.subscriptions.push(item);
         context.subscriptions.push(statusBarFunctions());
@@ -201,6 +212,57 @@ export async function activate(extensionContext: ExtensionContext): Promise<unkn
         statusBarItem.show();
     }
 
+    // Disable the k8s extension displaying its context/namespace status bar items...
+    // ...and setup our own context and namespace status bar informer/picker items
+
+    // if true will disable displaying the namespace from the status bar
+    function isNamespaceInfoStatusBarDisabled(): boolean {
+        // If k8s extension's Namespace Picker is eenabled - do not show the OS Tools's one
+        if (workspace.getConfiguration('vs-kubernetes').get('vs-kubernetes.disable-namespace-info-status-bar') === false) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return workspace.getConfiguration('openshiftToolkit').get['openshiftToolkit.disable-namespace-info-status-bar'];
+    }
+
+    // if true will disable displaying the context from the status bar
+    function isContextInfoStatusBarDisabled(): boolean {
+        // If k8s extension's Namespace Picker is eenabled - do not show the OS Tools's one
+        if (workspace.getConfiguration('vs-kubernetes').get('vs-kubernetes.disable-context-info-status-bar') === false) {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return workspace.getConfiguration('openshiftToolkit').get['openshiftToolkit.disable-context-info-status-bar'];
+    }
+
+    function updateContextStatusBarItem(statusBarItem: StatusBarItem, iconId: string, text: string, tooltip: string, show: boolean): void {
+        statusBarItem.text = `$(${iconId}) ${text}`;
+        statusBarItem.tooltip = tooltip;
+        if (show && text) {
+            statusBarItem.show();
+        } else {
+            statusBarItem.hide();
+        }
+    }
+
+    OpenShiftExplorer.getInstance().onDidChangeContextEmitter.event((context) => {
+        void Oc.Instance.getActiveProject().then((namespace) =>
+            updateContextStatusBarItem(activeNamespaceStatusBarItem, 'project-node', namespace, `Current namespace: ${namespace}`,
+                !isNamespaceInfoStatusBarDisabled()));
+
+        const kcu: KubeConfigUtils = new KubeConfigUtils();
+        const currentContext: KcuContext = kcu.findContext(context);
+        updateContextStatusBarItem(activeContextStatusBarItem, 'current-context', currentContext?.name, `${currentContext?.name}\nCluster: ${currentContext?.cluster}`,
+            !isContextInfoStatusBarDisabled());
+    });
+
+    const kcu: KubeConfigUtils = new KubeConfigUtils();
+    const currentContext: KcuContext = kcu.findContext(kcu.currentContext);
+    updateContextStatusBarItem(activeNamespaceStatusBarItem, 'project-node', null, 'Current namespace',
+        !isNamespaceInfoStatusBarDisabled());
+    updateContextStatusBarItem(activeContextStatusBarItem, 'current-context', currentContext?.name, `${currentContext?.name}\nCluster: ${currentContext?.cluster}`,
+        !isContextInfoStatusBarDisabled());
+
     updateStatusBarItem(crcStatusItem, 'Stop CRC');
     void extendClusterExplorer();