Ruto Ousts Caroline Mueke as EAC Secretary General Pick: Who is Mwende Mueke?
Caroline Mwende Mueke was in March nominated for appointment as the new Secretary General of the East African Community by the Summit of the Heads of States.
The nomination done by the government of Kenya was by Article 67 (1) of the EAC Treaty.
Mueke was set to replace Peter Mathuki, whose recalling was occasioned by his nomination as Kenya’s Ambassador to Russia.
She was expected to be sworn in on Monday. This is per a letter by the chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers Deng Alor Kuol.
“I hereby notify you that President Salva Kiir has requested the Heads of State to hold an extra-ordinary Summit virtually on April 15, 2024, to be preceded by the EAC Council of Ministers session virtually on the same day to consider the appointment of Ms. Caroline Mwende Mueke as the Secretary General of the East African Community,” the letter dated March 28, reads.
Mueke was to become the third Kenyan to hold the post after Francis Muthaura, who served from 1996 to 2001, and Mathuki (2021-2024).
But who is Mwende Mueke?
She was born in 1975 in Nairobi, where she was also raised.
Education and career background
Mueke pursued her passion for international relations and development in the multilateral space immediately upon completing her academic studies.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the United States International University, followed by a Master’s in public administration and policy from New York University.
She is currently a PhD candidate in Public Administration at the University of South Africa.
Mueke is an international development and policy expert with 25 years of experience in development planning, peacebuilding, project management, and, policy advisory and management.
She has dedicated over two decades of her career life as an international civil servant and technocrat in the United Nations where she has served in different parts of the world.
These include South Sudan, South Africa, Georgia, the Republic of North Macedonia, the United States of America, and Kenya.
Before she was nominated as Secretary-General of the EAC, Mueke had been working as a senior political affairs officer and special adviser to the deputy special representative of the SG of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
There, she was instrumental in developing strategies for the UN’s support to the implementation of the current peace agreement on the resolution of the conflict in the country, which was signed in 2018.
Before the role, Mueke served in other senior advisory and management roles serving in different advisory, policy, and management roles and contexts at country, regional, and global levels.
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This included as a special advisor to the assistant SG and director for UNDP Africa, based in New York, from 2012-2015.
From 2007-2012, she worked for the UN Development Group in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a regional coordination advisor and head of the inter-agency secretariat.
The secretariat was responsible for providing UN technical assistance in 22 countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region.
From 2000-2007, she worked for UNDP’s Crisis Prevention Bureau in New York, as a Programme Specialist responsible for Eastern Europe and Southern African countries.
Before that, Mueke served in various research and project management roles within the UN system with UNDP and UNESCO in different countries as well as at regional and UN Headquarters in New York.
Over time, her several years of progressively responsible experience and expertise in international development and multi-lateral space have exposed her to diverse and complex working environments and cultures.
Membership
She is a founding member of the Fellowship for African Women at the New York University Wagner School of Public Service.
She is also a member of several professional organizations such as the African Association of Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) and its Kenyan Chapter (KAPAM), the Women on Boards Network (WoBN, Kenya Chapter), and the UN Senior Women’s Talent Pipeline (UN-SWTP).
Other attributes
She considers herself a Kenyan by birth, East African at heart, and a global citizen by life and work experience.
She is passionate about the concept of servant leadership and inspiring others to work towards common goals through consensus building, collaboration, and coordination.
Additionally, she enjoys empowering young people through knowledge sharing and advocating for access to quality education.
During her spare time, she has been teaching students about the AU and the African Peace and Security Architecture at the REACT program of the Helsinki Institute in Spain.
Mueke is fluent in English, Kiswahili, and Kamba- her mother tongue.
During her time, she enjoys traveling, and spending time with family and is an avid reader of historical books and autobiographies.
Ruto Ousts Caroline Mueke as EAC Secretary General Pick: Who is Mwende Mueke?