Monica Juma hands over national security role to Boinnet as she takes up UN post
By Cynthia Lodite, April 14, 2026The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Dr Monica Juma, has officially handed over her duties to the former Inspector-General of Police, Joseph Boinnet.
The handover was confirmed by the European Union Ambassador to Kenya and Permanent Representative to the UNEP and UN-Habitat Henriette Geige on her official X account.
At the same time, the EU Ambassador confirmed that the handover ceremony took place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the University of Nairobi.
Worth noting, Juma has been serving as President William Ruto’s National Security Advisor, a mantle that has now been handed over to the former IG Joseph Boinnet.
During the ceremony Ambassador Juma shared her insights on multilateralism and Kenya‘s role in shaping a new global rules-based order.
“Kenyan National Security Adviser Ambassador Monica Juma hands over the baton of her office to Joseph Boinnet this morning at the University of Nairobi. Ambassador Juma shared her insights on multilateralism and Kenya‘s role in shaping a new global rules-based order,” Geige stated.
Juma’s new role
Monica Juma was recently appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, placing her among the highest-ranking Kenyans to serve within the UN system.
Kenya’s top diplomatic and political leadership went ahead to honour Ambassador Monica Juma at a high-level reception in Nairobi, marking her appointment to one of the most senior positions within the United Nations system.
The reception was hosted by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, drew dozens of diplomats based in Nairobi, representatives of the UN and other international agencies, as well as guests from government and the private sector.
Speaking during the event on Friday, March 27, 2026, Juma described the reception as an emotional moment as she prepares to leave national service for the multilateral stage.
“When I scan this room, I don’t just see officials and distinguished guests. I see colleagues, friends and family,” she said, thanking Mudavadi and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs for organising the event in her honour.
She said the new assignment comes with both excitement and nostalgia, as she transitions from her role as National Security Advisor to President William Ruto and Secretary to the National Security Council, a position she has held since September 2022.
“As I prepare to take up my assignment, I am both joyful and nostalgic,” she said, noting that while the opportunity to contribute to the UN’s work is welcome, leaving home carries “a tinge of melancholy.”