Amina Mohamed facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amina Mohamed
Aamina Maxamed Jibriil أمينة محمد جبريل
Mohamed in 2013
Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage
In office 2 March 2019 – 27 October 2022
President	Uhuru Kenyatta
Preceded by	Rashid Echesa
Succeeded by	Ababu Namwamba
Cabinet Secretary for Education
In office 5 February 2018 – 2 March 2019
Appointed by	Uhuru Kenyatta
Preceded by	Fred Matiang'i
Succeeded by	George Magoha
Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 20 May 2013 – 5 February 2018
Appointed by	Uhuru Kenyatta
Preceded by	Sam Ongeri
Succeeded by	Monica Juma
Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme
In office 13 May 2011 – 20 May 2013
Appointed by	Ban Ki-moon
Preceded by	Angela Cropper
Personal details
Born	(1961-10-05) 5 October 1961 (age 63) Kakamega, Kenya
Political party	Jubilee Party
Spouse	Khalid Ahmed
Children	7
Alma mater	Kenya School of Law (LLB) University of Kyiv (LLM) University of Oxford (PGDip)

Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril (born October 5, 1961) is a well-known Kenyan lawyer and diplomat. She has held many important jobs in the Kenyan government and at the United Nations. She was most recently the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture in Kenya. Before that, she led the International Organization for Migration and a main council at the World Trade Organization. She also worked as a top official at the United Nations Environment Programme.

Early Life and Education

Amina Mohamed was born in Kakamega, Kenya, on October 5, 1961. She grew up in a family of nine children. As a child, she loved reading detective stories like Sherlock Holmes. This interest later grew into a passion for international affairs.

School Days

Amina went to Township Primary School in Kakamega. She later attended Butere Girls and Highlands Academy. Her mother strongly believed in education and often checked on her school progress. After finishing school, Amina received a scholarship to study in Ukraine.

University Studies

She studied at the University of Kyiv. There, she earned a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in international law. Later, she got another diploma in international relations from the University of Oxford. She also took special courses on international law through a program at the United Nations.

Family Life

In 2002, Amina married Khalid Ahmed. She often says he helped her a lot in her career. They have two children together and also care for four adopted children. Amina speaks several languages, including her native Somali, English, Russian, Swahili, and some French.

Career Highlights

Amina Mohamed has had a long and impressive career. She has worked as a legal advisor and held many high-level positions.

Starting as a Legal Advisor

Amina began her career in 1985 at the Kenyan Ministry of Local Government. She helped review projects and create local laws. From 1986 to 1990, she worked as a Legal Advisor for Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She helped write and negotiate important agreements with countries like the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. She also helped with the African Convention on the Rights of the Child.

From 1990 to 1993, Amina was a Legal Advisor for Kenya's team at the UN office in Geneva, Switzerland. She worked with groups like the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization. In 1997, she became a Legal Advisor for Kenya's team at the UN Security Council.

Important Roles in Kenya and the UN

From 2000 to 2006, Amina was Kenya's Ambassador in Geneva. She also led the African Group in the WTO's Human Rights Commission. In 2002, she became the first woman to lead the International Organization for Migration. She made sure more African countries could join this organization.

She also chaired important trade meetings, including the WTO's General Council in 2005. This made her the first woman to hold that position. She was also part of the leadership teams for many other UN organizations.

Leading Justice and Environment Efforts

From 2008 to 2011, Amina was the Permanent Secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Justice. In this role, she helped rewrite the Constitution of Kenya in 2010. In July 2011, she became a top leader at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs

In April 2013, Amina Mohamed was chosen as Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs. She was sworn into office in May 2013. During her time, Kenya's strong diplomatic efforts helped solve some big international issues. She also worked to strengthen Kenya's relationships with other countries.

Campaign for African Union Leadership

In 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Amina to become the leader of the African Union Commission (AUC). Even with strong support from Kenya, she did not win the position. She lost to Moussa Faki from Chad. Some countries, like Uganda, later clarified their support for her.

Other Important Activities

In April 2017, she met with US officials to encourage continued cooperation between Kenya and the United States. In May 2017, the Japanese government honored her for improving economic ties between Kenya and Japan. She received a special award called the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. This showed her skills as a great planner and negotiator. She also met with the Russian foreign minister to discuss stronger ties between Kenya and Russia.

Cabinet Secretary for Education

In January 2018, Amina Mohamed became the Cabinet Secretary for Education. She promised to continue the good changes started by the previous leader. She was praised for how she managed the national exams in 2018. She also helped 93% of primary school students move on to high school, which was a record high at the time.

She also created a policy for Special Needs Education. She improved the system that gives loans to students for higher education. Her changes in vocational training centers doubled the number of students enrolling. She also helped develop a new way of teaching called the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture

In March 2019, President Kenyatta appointed Amina Mohamed to lead the Ministry of Sports, Heritage and Culture. She has asked for more funding for sports in Kenya.

Nomination for WTO Director-General

In July 2020, Kenya nominated Amina Mohamed for the top job at the World Trade Organization (WTO). She made it to the second round of the selection process. However, she was not chosen as one of the two finalists.

Other activities

• International Olympic Committee (IOC), Member of the Ethics Commission

Honors

Amina Mohamed has received many awards and honors, including:

• Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (EGH)
• Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS)
• Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity (Cav.O.S.S.I.)
• Life Member of the Red Cross Society
• Member of the Life and Peace Institute International Advisory Council
• Honorary Doctorate from KCA University
• Member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Arctic
• Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (2017)
• Member of the Strathmore Law School Advisory Board

Personal life

In 2002, Amina married Khalid Ahmed. The couple have two biological children and four adopted children.

See also

• List of foreign ministers in 2017
• List of current foreign ministers
• Foreign relations of Kenya