Ambassador Monica Juma assumed office on Monday, May 11, 2026, as the new Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), following her appointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The United Nations Information Service confirmed her assumption in office on Monday, May 11, 2026.

“Monica Juma of Kenya assumed office today as the new Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), following her appointment by UN Secretary-General António Guterres,” UN stated.

“I am incredibly proud and honoured to be leading these two offices in Vienna at a critical time for multilateralism,” said Ms. Juma.

Further adding “I look forward to contributing my experience in the defence, security and diplomatic fields to the efforts of the UN in tackling some of today’s most pressing challenges to peace and security, including drugs, organised crime, corruption and terrorism, and to advance its goal of a safer, more just world.”

Ms. Juma previously served as the first-ever National Security Adviser to the President of the Republic of Kenya and as Secretary to Kenya’s National Security Council from 2022 until 2026.

Before this, Ms Juma held the role of Cabinet Secretary in strategic Ministries of Kenya, namely the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was Acting Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining.

Ms. Juma also served as Ambassador of Kenya to Ethiopia and Djibouti as well as Permanent Representative of Kenya to the African Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations Commission for Africa (UNECA) from 2010 to 2013.

Ruto’s farewell

President William Ruto recently bid her farewell, commending her years of service to the country as she prepares to take up a senior position at the United Nations.

Ruto thanked Juma for her dedication to public service, noting her extensive contribution to Kenya’s security, diplomacy, and public administration sectors.

“We thank Ambassador Monica Juma, the outgoing National Security Advisor, for her years of dedicated public service to our nation,” Ruto said.

He described her as a highly respected professional and intellectual who had served with distinction in various government roles over the years.

“Through her service, she distinguished herself as a highly respected professional and intellectual with extensive knowledge in security, diplomacy, and public administration. She was also result-oriented and a skilled negotiator,” he added.