United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Kenya’s Monica Kathina Juma as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
Juma will succeed Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt, whom Guterres praised for her dedicated service to the organisation.
Until Juma formally assumes office, John Brandolino, Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs at UNODC, will continue serving as Acting Executive Director of UNODC and Acting Director-General of UNOV.
Juma brings decades of experience in diplomacy, governance and security. She currently serves as Kenya’s National Security Adviser to President William Ruto and Secretary to the National Security Council, a position she has held since 2022.
Her career in government includes several strategic Cabinet positions. She served as Cabinet Secretary for Energy between 2021 and 2022, Defence from 2020 to 2021, and Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2020. In 2022 she also served as Acting Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining.
Earlier in her career, Juma held senior roles as Principal Secretary in multiple ministries, including Foreign Affairs (2016–2018), Interior and Coordination of National Government (2014–2016), and Defence (2013–2014).
Her diplomatic service includes a stint as Kenya’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ethiopia and Djibouti from 2010 to 2013. During the same period, she served as Permanent Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Academically, Juma holds a PhD from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, obtained between 1998 and 2000. She also earned both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi.
Beyond government service, she has contributed to research and policy development as Executive Director at the Research Africa Institute of South Africa and the Africa Policy Institute. She has also served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the African Centre for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University since 2002.
Boost for Kenya’s global standing
Fluent in English, Kiswahili and Kamba, Juma is widely recognised for her strategic leadership in governance and security policy.
Her appointment places her at the helm of global efforts to tackle drug trafficking, organised crime and related security challenges through UNODC.
The announcement, made on March 6, 2026, is being seen as a major milestone for Kenya in international diplomacy, reflecting the country’s growing influence in multilateral organisations and global governance.
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