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Monica Juma Appointed UN Director General at Vienna Office and Head of Drugs and Crime Unit

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  • Kenya’s National Security Adviser Monica Juma has secured a powerful United Nations appointment, placing the senior diplomat in charge of two major global offices.
  • UN Secretary-General António Guterres named Monica Juma as Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna.
  • Monica Juma’s selection follows decades in government and diplomacy, including senior cabinet roles in Kenya and ambassadorial postings.

Kenya’s National Security Adviser, Monica Kathina Juma, has been appointed to two senior leadership roles at the United Nations(UN).

Juma currently serves as National Security Adviser to Kenyan President William Ruto and also acts as secretary to Kenya’s National Security Council, a role she has held since 2022.

What is Monica Juma’s new role?

UN secretary-general António Guterres announced that Juma will serve as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna.

In the announcement made on Friday, March 7, Guterres indicated that Juma would succeed Ghada Fathi Waly, whose tenure at the organisation has come to an end. “United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Monica Kathina Juma of Kenya as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as well as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV). She succeeds Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service to the Organization,” read the statement in part.

Until Juma formally assumes the positions, John Brandolino will continue serving in an acting capacity as Executive Director of UNODC and Director-General of UNOV.

The appointment places the Kenyan diplomat at the helm of two critical UN institutions responsible for addressing global challenges related to crime, drugs and international governance coordination in Vienna.

UNODC leads international efforts against illicit drugs, organised crime, corruption, and terrorism, while UNOV serves as a major hub for UN operations in Vienna, Austria, supporting diplomacy, development, and global cooperation initiatives.

Her appointment reflects decades of experience across government, diplomacy, security policy, and academic research.

What are Monica Juma’s qualifications?

According to the UN statement announcing the decision, Juma has developed extensive expertise in public policy development, policy implementation, and governance across a wide range of strategic sectors.

Before her latest role in Kenya’s Executive, Juma served in several key cabinet positions within the Kenyan government.

She was Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Energy between 2021 and 2022. Before that, she headed the Ministry of Defence from 2020 to 2021.

Her diplomatic and international policy experience also includes serving as Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2020.

In addition, she briefly served as Acting Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining in 2022. Earlier in her government career, Juma worked as Principal Secretary in multiple ministries that included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2016 and 2018, the Department of Interior under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government between 2014 and 2016, and the Ministry of Defence between 2013 and 2014.

Beyond her work within Kenya’s domestic government structures, Juma has also represented the country in several high-level diplomatic roles. Between 2010 and 2013, she served as Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti.

During the same period, she was also Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

These positions placed her within major continental institutions responsible for regional diplomacy, development policy, and conflict resolution.

Alongside her work in government and diplomacy, Juma has maintained strong ties to academic research and policy institutions.

Her academic contributions also include serving as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the African Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, a role she has held since 2002.

Earlier in her career, she worked as a senior researcher and policy analyst at Safer Africa between 2002 and 2006. Juma holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Oxford, obtained between 1998 and 2000.

She also earned both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi-TUKO.

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National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

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The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

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Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

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ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

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The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

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