Kenyan diplomat and security expert Monica Juma has been appointed the new Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, placing her at the helm of the United Nations agency responsible for tackling global crime, drugs, and related security challenges.
The appointment was announced on March 6, 2026, by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who selected the Kenyan official to lead the Vienna-based offices. Juma will succeed Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt, whom the UN chief commended for her dedicated service.
Until Juma formally takes over the roles, John Brandolino, Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs at UNODC, will continue serving as Acting Executive Director of UNODC and Acting Director-General of UNOV.
Juma brings a long record of work in diplomacy, governance, and security.
She is currently serving as National Security Adviser to the President of Kenya and Secretary to the National Security Council, a position she has held since 2022.
Her career in government spans several key Cabinet roles. She served as Cabinet Secretary for Energy between 2021 and 2022, Defence from 2020 to 2021, and Foreign Affairs between 2018 and 2020. In 2022, she also briefly held the position of Acting Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining.
Before joining the Cabinet, Juma held senior roles in government as Principal Secretary in a number of ministries. These include Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2018, Interior and Coordination of National Government from 2014 to 2016, and Defence between 2013 and 2014.
Her diplomatic career also includes service as Kenya’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ethiopia and Djibouti. During the same period between 2010 and 2013, she served as Permanent Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Beyond government service, Juma has been active in research and policy work. She served as Executive Director of the Africa Institute of South Africa from 2008 to 2010 and later led the Africa Policy Institute between 2006 and 2008.
Her academic and policy contributions also include teaching as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the African Center for Strategic Studies at the National Defense University in Washington DC since 2002. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at Safer Africa from 2002 to 2006.
Juma’s academic credentials include a PhD from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, which she completed between 1998 and 2000. She also holds a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi, earned in 1991 and 1987 respectively.
Fluent in English, Kiswahili, and Kamba, she is widely known for her strategic leadership style and long experience in matters of governance and security.
In announcing the appointment, Guterres expressed confidence in her ability to lead the global body, describing her as a leader with a “depth of expertise, experience and knowledge spanning public policy making, execution and academia across critical areas of security, diplomacy and governance.”
Her selection places a Kenyan official at the top of key United Nations institutions responsible for addressing global drug trafficking, transnational crime, and security threats.
Juma will assume the position after a transition period currently overseen by Brandolino, ushering in a new chapter for the UN offices in Vienna as they continue coordinating international efforts against organised crime and drug-related challenges.
