Press release: New Director-General of the United Nations in Kenya arrives in Nairobi

(Nairobi, 2 October). The new Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) Ms. Hanna S. Tetteh of Ghana arrived this morning in Nairobi to assume her new assignment as the highest UN official in Kenya.

Ms. Tetteh was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in July succeeding Sahle-Work Zewde who held this position for the past seven years.

On her arrival in Gigiri Ms. Tetteh was welcomed by her senior management who have been working under the acting Director-General Tamrat Samuel who presided over the running of the office for the past two months.

Ms. Tetteh most recently served in the cabinet of the Government of Ghana as Minister for Foreign Affairs (January 2013-January 2017), and Minister for Trade and Industry (February 2009-January 2013). While serving as Minister or Foreign Affairs, she was also a member of the National Security Council and the Armed Forces Council.

From 2014 to 2015 she was the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). During her term as Minister for Trade and Industry, she was also a member of the Government’s economic management team, a member of the board of the Millennium Development Authority, a member of the National Development Planning Commission, and was also the Chairperson of the Ghana Free Zones Board.

She served for one term as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya Constituency from December 2000 to January 2005. She later returned to Parliament in January 2013 until January 2017 as the NDC Member of Parliament for the Awutu Senya West Constituency.

Ms. Tetteh is a practising Lawyer and holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Ghana, Legon. She also completed her professional law course at the Ghana School of Law and was called to the Ghana Bar in October 1992.