Ambassador Monica Juma has officially handed over her role as National Security Advisor following her appointment to the United Nations.
In an update on Tuesday, April 14, European Union Ambassador to Kenya, Henriette Geiger, confirmed that the handover ceremony was held at the University of Nairobi.
Ambassador Juma passed the baton to Joseph Boinnet, who served as the Deputy National Security Advisor.
During the event, Geiger highlighted Juma’s contribution to global diplomacy and Kenya’s strategic positioning on the international stage.
"Ambassador Juma shared her insights on multilateralism and Kenya‘s role in shaping a new global rules based order," she said.
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This development comes weeks after United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Juma as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
Juma succeeded Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt, whom the Secretary-General thanked for her service to the organisation.
Guterres also expressed appreciation to John Brandolino, Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs at UNODC, who will continue serving as Acting Executive Director of UNODC and Acting Director-General of UNOV until Juma formally assumes the roles.
The UNODC is the United Nations agency responsible for supporting member states in tackling issues such as illicit drugs, organised crime, corruption, and terrorism through research, policy guidance, and international cooperation.
As Executive Director of UNODC and Director-General of UNOV, Juma will oversee the agency’s global efforts to address transnational crime and drug-related challenges while also managing the operations and strategic direction of the UN’s Vienna-based offices.
The UN described Juma as a senior strategic leader with extensive experience in public policy, diplomacy, security, and governance.
She has previously served in several senior roles within the Kenyan government, including Cabinet Secretary for Energy (2021–2022), Cabinet Secretary for Defence (2020–2021), and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs (2018–2020).
In 2022, Juma also served as Acting Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining.
Earlier, she served as Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2016–2018), the Department of Interior under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government (2014–2016), and the Ministry of Defence (2013–2014).
Juma's diplomatic career includes serving as Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti between 2010 and 2013.
During that time, she was also Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Beyond government service, Juma has held several academic and research positions. She previously served as Executive Director of the Research Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA) from 2008 to 2010 and as Executive Director of the Africa Policy Institute from 2006 to 2008.
She has also been an Adjunct Faculty Member at the African Centre for Strategic Studies at the National Defence University in Washington, D.C., since 2002, and earlier worked as a Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at Safer Africa.
Juma holds a PhD from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi.
