Jean Njeri Kamau of Kenya new UN resident coordinator in Guyana

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Jean Njeri Kamau of Kenya as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, with the host Government’s approval, starting on 15 September.
Kamau, in a release on the UN website states, brings more than 20 years of experience in human rights, development, political governance, and institutional development. She recently served as Kenya’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union. Previously, she served as a diplomat in the Republic of South Africa, Kingdom of Eswatini and 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 (FIDA), Kenya.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Nairobi and a master’s degree in Democratic Studies from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.
She replaces Yeșim Oruç of Turkey who was appointed in 2021.
During a farewell ceremony for Oruç, Guyana’s Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips had commended the efforts of the outgoing United Nations Resident Coordinator, for solidifying the robust relationship with the UN agencies and initiatives which have been instrumental in ensuring Guyana achieves its developmental objectives.
Oruç has been a responsive and reliable partner to the government and an ardent supporter of Guyana’s development, Prime Minister emphasised.
He had added that Guyana has significantly benefitted from Oruç’s expertise and wisdom.
Prime Minister Phillips was quoted in a DPI report underlining, “I wish to express our sincere gratitude to you for all the work you did in Guyana during your tenure…These efforts have borne fruit and ensure that progress across the country is not uneven and is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
He had further elaborated that the UN is an essential pillar of the multifaceted system, which for small states like Guyana, is a dispensable bulwark of security, independence and a platform for such states to play a fundamental role in global governance.
Meanwhile, Oruç had expressed gratitude to the government for honouring the UN and by extension her work.