Kenyan diplomat Martin Kimani has been appointed the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, giving him a senior role in the UN’s political and peacebuilding work across the continent and marking another major milestone in a diplomatic career spanning more than two decades.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment on Monday, September 14, confirming that Kimani would serve within the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO).
“Kimani brings to the position 25 years of experience in international relations, peace and security, and multilateral diplomacy across government, regional organisations and the private sector,” Guterres said. Kimani succeeds Ghana’s Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, who had held the role since May 2021, with Guterres thanking her for her dedication and service to the organisation.
In his new role, Kimani will help lead the UN’s political and peacebuilding work in Africa, including efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts through preventive diplomacy, mediation and early-warning analysis aimed at addressing crises before they escalate.
He will also support special political missions and peacekeeping operations on the continent, and is expected to work closely with regional bodies as part of the UN’s broader push to strengthen cooperation with African institutions on conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
The appointment comes at a moment when the UN is contending with a wide range of ongoing conflicts, political transitions and security challenges across Africa, giving him a prominent role in those efforts.
Kimani is already a familiar figure within UN circles, having served as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York between 2020 and 2024.
During that period, Kenya held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council from 2021 to 2022, and Kimani served as President of the Security Council in October 2021, a role that saw him preside over the council during a period of significant international security challenges.
He also chaired the Ad Hoc Working Group on Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Africa, and co-chaired the Informal Expert Group on Climate and Security in 2022. In 2023, he served as President of the Executive Board of the UN Development Programme, the UN Population Fund and the UN Office for Project Services.
Before taking up his post at the UN, Kimani held senior positions within the Kenyan government, serving as Director of Kenya’s National Counter Terrorism Centre and as the President’s Special Envoy for Countering Violent Extremism between 2015 and 2020, work centred on preventing violent extremism and strengthening cooperation against security threats. Earlier still, he represented Kenya at the UN Environment Programme and UN-Habitat between 2012 and 2015.
Kimani’s academic background is rooted in the study of conflict, politics and diplomacy. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of New Hampshire in 1996, before proceeding to King’s College London where he completed a Master’s degree in War Studies in 2003 and a PhD in the same field in 2010. His doctoral research examined hatred, mass violence and genocide.
The appointment adds to a growing list of Kenyans currently holding senior positions within the UN system, including Monica Juma, who was appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2026.
Kimani’s appointment represents another significant step in his diplomatic career and gives Kenya another senior voice in multilateral discussions on peace and security at a time when the continent continues to face political instability and armed conflict in several regions.
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