Amina Mohamed facts for kids

Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril, born on October 5, 1961, is a well-known Kenyan lawyer and diplomat. She has held many important government jobs in Kenya. She was the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture. Before that, she was in charge of Education and also Foreign Affairs.

Amina Mohamed has also worked for international groups. She was the chairperson of the International Organization for Migration. She also led the General Council of the World Trade Organization. She served as the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Early Life and Education

Amina Mohamed was born in Kakamega County, Kenya, in 1961. She grew up in a family of Somali background. She is one of nine children. As a child, she loved reading detective stories. This helped her develop an interest in world events.

She went to Township Primary School in Kakamega. Later, she attended Butere Girls and Highlands Academy. Her mother believed that education was very important. After finishing school, Amina received a scholarship to study in Ukraine. She earned a Master of Laws degree in international law from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

Amina also earned a diploma in international relations from the University of Oxford. She took special courses on international law through a program at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Amina Mohamed speaks several languages. These include Somali, English, Russian, and Swahili. She also knows some French.

Career Highlights

Starting Her Legal Career

Amina Mohamed began her career in 1985. She worked as a legal officer for the Kenyan government. Her job involved looking at projects from the World Bank. She also helped create local laws.

From 1986 to 1990, she was a Legal Advisor for Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She helped write and agree on many international agreements. These included deals with countries like the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. She also worked on the African Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Working with the United Nations

From 1990 to 1993, Amina Mohamed 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 2000, she became the Ambassador for Kenya's diplomatic mission 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 agreed to take the job only if more African countries could join the organization.

She led the Trade Policy Review Body in 2003. In 2005, she became the first woman to lead the WTO's General Council. From 2006 to 2007, she worked as a Director for Kenya, focusing on Europe and Commonwealth countries.

Leading in Justice and Environment

From 2008 to 2011, Amina Mohamed 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 was named Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This meant she helped lead efforts to protect the environment globally.

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs

In April 2013, Amina Mohamed was chosen to be Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs. She took office in May 2013. In this role, she worked to improve Kenya's relationships with other countries. She was known for her strong diplomatic skills.

Campaign for African Union Chair

In 2017, President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Amina Mohamed to become the chair of the African Union Commission (AUC). This is a very important leadership role for the entire African continent. Despite strong support from Kenya, she did not win the position.

Cabinet Secretary for Education

In January 2018, Amina Mohamed became the Cabinet Secretary for Education. She continued important changes started by her predecessor. She was praised for how she managed national exams in 2018. She also helped 93% of primary school students move on to high school. This was the highest number in Kenya's history at that time.

She also created a policy for Special Needs Education. She improved the Higher Education Loans Board, which helps students get loans for college. Her changes in Vocational Training Centres doubled the number of students joining these programs. She also helped develop a new way of teaching called the Competency-Based Curriculum.

Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture

In March 2019, Amina Mohamed was appointed the Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Heritage and Culture. She took over this role to lead efforts in sports, preserving culture, and protecting historical sites in Kenya. She has asked for more money to be given to the Sports Ministry.

Nomination for WTO Director-General

In July 2020, Kenya nominated Amina Mohamed for the position of Director-General of 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 for the role.

Other Activities and Honors

Amina Mohamed has also been a member of the Ethics Commission for the International Olympic Committee (IOC). She has received several important honors for her work. These include the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (EGH) and the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS). In 2017, she received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government. This award recognized her efforts in improving economic ties between Kenya and Japan.

Personal Life

Amina Mohamed married Khalid Ahmed in 2002. They have two biological children and have also adopted four children.

See also

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