Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that he will contest for the United Nations Secretary-General post following the end of Antonio Guterres’s tenure in 2026.
According to sources, Uhuru, who ruled Kenya between 2013 and 2022, is set to resign from being Jubilee Party leader and concentrate on United Nations Secretary-General campaigns, which are set to begin in 2026.
Uhuru on Friday is set to hand over Jubilee Party leadership to former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who has already declared his presidential bid in 2027.
Uhuru, 63, has very impressive academic credentials which put him in a pole position to contest for the top global job.
The former president started his early education at St Mary School, completing his secondary education in 1979. While there, he played on the school’s rugby team.
In 1981, young Kenyatta joined Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics.
Before his university studies, Kenyatta briefly worked as a teller at the Kenya Commercial Bank between 1979 and 1980.
Regarded as the father of Kenya’s modern infrastructure and strong economic foundation, Uhuru left a mark on his tenure, especially in health and education, which are now in tatters thanks to his successor, William Ruto.
When he retired in 2022, Uhuru became a peace envoy and negotiator in East and Central Africa. He has also continued to receive international recognition for past achievements.
Peace and diplomatic engagements
- Regional peace envoy: Appointed by President William Ruto, Kenyatta acts as Kenya’s peace envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa. In this role, he chairs regional peace interventions on behalf of the Kenyan government.
- Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): In his capacity as the East African Community (EAC)-led Nairobi Process Facilitator, Kenyatta has played a central role in mediating peace talks for the conflict in the Eastern DRC.
- Ethiopia: As part of his peace envoy duties, he has participated in mediation efforts between the federal government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
- Special Peace Envoy for the AUC: As of mid-2025, Kenyatta holds the title of Special Peace Envoy from the African Union Commission (AUC) for the DRC.
International awards and recognition
- World Health Organisation (WHO): In July 2025, the WHO formally recognised Kenyatta for his role in championing and advocating for the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which was adopted in May 2025.
- Foreign honors: While in office, he received several high-level foreign honors, including:
- Barbados: Honorary Member of the Order of Freedom of Barbados (2021)
- Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (2022)
- Burundi: National Order of the Republic (2022)
- Other past accolades: Kenyatta’s past international recognition includes the African Gender Award from the African Union (2022) and the Mandela Peace Prize (2017).
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