Kenyan lawyer and rights activist is new UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana

Last Updated on Friday, 4 October 2024, 20:13 by Writer

New United Nations Resident Coordinator to Guyana, Ms. Jean Kamau, recently presented her credentials to President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, at the Office of the President.

The UN Office in Guyana said on Friday that the presentation signaled the official start of Ms. Kamau’s mandate in Guyana.

Ms. Kamau, who is a national of Kenya, is replacing Ms. Yesim Oruç of Turkey, who served in Guyana for three years.

Ms. Kamau has more than 20 years of experience in human rights, women’s rights, peacebuilding, institutional development, governance, and development.

Prior to her appointment as the highest-ranking UN Official in Guyana, Ms. Kamau served as a diplomat in the Republic of South Africa, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kingdom of Lesotho and Washington DC.

Before joining the diplomatic service, she worked in multiple roles in the public sector and civil society, including as country director for Action Aid International in Kenya and Lesotho and as the first executive director for the Federation of Women Lawyers, Kenya.

Ms. Kamau holds a bachelor’s degree in law from the University of Nairobi and master’s degree in democratic studies from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.