Martin Kimani appointed UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Kenyan diplomat Martin Kimani as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Africa. Kimani will serve within the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO).

Kimani succeeds Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee of Ghana. He brings over 25 years of experience in international relations, multilateral diplomacy, and peace and security. His previous roles include serving as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2020 to 2024, during which he served as President of the UN Security Council in October 2021.

His background includes leadership roles in conflict prevention in the Horn of Africa and serving as President of the executive boards for the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund, and the UN Office for Project Services. He also previously headed the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism.