Kenya’s Martin Kimani appointed the new Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO)./HANDOUT

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Kenya’s Martin Kimani as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO).

The former BBI joint secretary succeeds Ghana’s Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, who Guterres thanked for her dedicated service.

The appointment places Kimani in a senior UN role focused on Africa after 25 years of experience in international relations, peace and security, and multilateral diplomacy.

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His experience spans government, regional organisations, non-governmental organisations and the private sector.

Kimani previously served as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2020 to 2024.

During Kenya’s tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council from 2021 to 2022, he served as President of the Council in October 2021.

He also chaired the Council’s Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa and co-chaired its Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security in 2022.

In 2023, Kimani served as President of the Executive Board of the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund and the United Nations Office for Project Services.

Before his appointment as Kenya’s UN ambassador, Kimani served as Director of Kenya’s National Counter Terrorism Centre and the President’s Special Envoy for Countering Violent Extremism between 2015 and 2020.

He previously served as Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN Environment Programme and UN-Habitat from 2012 to 2015.

Between 2011 and 2012, he was Director of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development’s Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism.

Kimani has also held senior positions in the non-governmental sector.

He served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Africa Center, Executive Director of the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center.

His academic background includes a PhD and a master’s degree in War Studies from King’s College, University of London, United Kingdom.

He also holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of New Hampshire in the United States.

Kimani is fluent in English and Kiswahili.

His appointment comes after a career spanning national, regional and international institutions, with experience in peace and security, diplomacy and conflict prevention.

He now takes up the role previously held by Pobee as Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the DPPA-DPO.