The United Nations (UN) has four main offices in the world, and Kenyan diplomat Monica Juma will now head one of them.
The four offices are the headquarters in New York and the stations in Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi.
Following an appointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, Dr Juma will be the director-general of the UN Office at Vienna (UNOV), a role whose holder automatically becomes the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“UNOV is closely associated with the UNODC. Both offices are led by the same official,” says the UN Office at Vienna website.
With her appointment, Dr Juma will be holding a position called “under secretary-general of the UN”, the third highest rank in the UN after the secretary-general and the deputy secretary-general.
Other Kenyans who have served the UN in the under secretary-general capacity include Mukhisa Kituyi (as the secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and Alice Nderitu (as the special adviser on the prevention of genocide).
As the boss of the Vienna office, Dr Juma will join the league of Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Sierra Leonean who is currently the director-general of the Nairobi office.
Amb Monica Juma.
Photo credit: PSC
No Kenyan has ever headed the Nairobi station that was created in 1996. The Geneva office is headed by Tatiana Valovaya from Russia.
The Vienna office that Dr Juma will lead has been in existence since 1980. It says on its website that it plays “a vital role in promoting international cooperation, dialogue and diplomacy in a range of global issues”.
The statement announcing Dr Juma’s appointment said that she will be succeeding Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt. It added that until Dr Juma takes up the role, John Brandolino – a US citizen – will continue to serve as the acting executive director of UNODC and the acting director-general of UNOV.
Reacting to the appointment, President William Ruto said Dr Juma’s “stellar performance” in various roles had been “recognised beyond our borders”.
“Dr Juma has served our country with utmost professionalism and patriotism, given the best to all assignments tasked to her, which in return has earned her a place on the international stage,” stated Dr Ruto in a post on X.
“I thank [Mr Gutteres] for appointing not just a Kenyan but a woman leader and for doing this especially in this month when we celebrate women’s achievements. Kenya is committed to multilateralism, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with the United Nations,” added Dr Ruto. “Hongera Monica for this appointment, and Happy Women’s Day!”
Dr Juma, posting on X on Saturday, noted that she was grateful of the secretary-general’s “confidence in my ability to steer these two important offices at the Under Secretary General level at this critical point”.
Coming on just before the International Women’s Day, she said, the appointment was demonstrative of the UN head’s belief in women leadership.
Dr Juma also thanked Dr Ruto for the confidence he had in her to appoint her as the first national security advisor of the Republic of Kenya and the secretary to the National Security Council.
Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma who has been named cabinet-level adviser on national security.
Photo credit: File
“I look forward to serving at this new mandate diligently and flying Kenya’s flag high, to the best of my ability. Thank you Kenya for preparing me to serve humanity!” she wrote.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, posting on Friday, said that by appointing Dr Juma, the UN had “once again tapped from the rich reserve of word-class brain power that Kenya has, picking one of the most intellectually gifted daughters of Kenya”.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said in a post directed to Dr Juma: “Your stellar career, professionalism and experience will undoubtedly make Kenya proud on the global stage.”
The UN statement described Dr Juma as “a strategic senior leader with a depth of expertise, experience and knowledge spanning public policy making, execution, and academia across critical areas of security, diplomacy and governance”.
Dr Juma holds a PhD from the University of Oxford. Before her PhD, she had obtained her bachelor’s (1987) and master’s (1991) degrees in government and public administration from the University of Nairobi.
Her cabinet secretary roles have been: Ministry of Energy (2021-2022); Ministry of Defence (2020-2021); and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2018-2020). In 2022, she also served as the acting Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining.
In terms of international duties, she has been ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Kenya to Ethiopia and Djibouti; and has also represented Kenya in the African Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) and the United Nations Commission for Africa (Uneca).
