Raychelle Awour Omamo (born July 1962) is a Kenyan

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and an

advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. Different countries' legal systems use the term with somewhat differing meanings. The broad equivalent in many English law–based jurisdictions could be a barrister or a solicitor. However, ...

of the High Court of Kenya.

Background and education

Omamo studied law at the

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

at Canterbury, UK. She is a Senior Counsel and an Advocate of the High Court for 27 years. She was the first female chairperson of the Law Society of Kenya from 2001 to 2003 after serving as a council member from 1996 to 2000 and Kenyan first female ambassador to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

, The Holy See and Serbia as well as the Permanent Delegate of the Kenya to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. She was a member of the Task Force on the Establishment of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission for Kenya.

Career

She serves as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Previously, she served as the Cabinet Secretary for Defence for 7 years in the

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

administration, the first female in the country to hold the post. She is currently the Vice-President of the East African Law Society, Kenya’s Ambassad and Director Mo-Consulty Ltd.

References

Alumni of the University of Kent 20th-century Kenyan lawyers Kenyan women lawyers Ambassadors of Kenya to France Ambassadors of Kenya to Portugal Ambassadors of Kenya to the Holy See Ambassadors of Kenya to Serbia Foreign ministers of Kenya Defense ministers of Kenya Living people Women government ministers of Kenya Female defence ministers 21st-century Kenyan women politicians 21st-century Kenyan politicians 1952 births Female foreign ministers 21st-century Kenyan lawyers {{Kenya-politician-stub She is a daughter to the late cabinet minister Hon. William Odongo Omamo.