KENYAN LADY ELECTED AS THE FIRST BLACK MAYOR IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Lilian Seenoi-Barr, the sister of Senate Minority Whip Olekina Ledama, has been elected as the first black mayor of the Strabane District Council and Derry City in Northern Ireland. She is a Kenyan woman.

On June 3, 2024, in the Guildhall in Derry, Senator Edwin Sifuna of Nairobi and Senator Tabitha Karanja, the Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, were invited to the inauguration ceremony of Seenoi-Barr.

 The Social Democratic and Labour Parties stated that Seenoi-Barr would be "an excellent mayor for everybody" in a letter to Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.

Leader of the SDLP Colum Eastwood stated, "This is a reflection on Lillian's outstanding achievements as a human rights activist, her hard work for the entire community, and her unstinting dedication to the SDLP."

Seenoi-Barr, according to Eastwood, is a Derry girl originally from Oloombiokishi in Narok County, and she is a Maasai woman.

"We are ecstatic that Lillian will become the first African American mayor of Northern Ireland," stated Eastwood.

The party wrote to Kingi to make accommodations for the three senators because it was unable to cover their travel and hotel expenses.

Lying in the northwest of Northern Ireland, Derry—officially known as Derry/Londonderry—is a city rich in cultural legacy and history.

Derry embraces modernity while providing a window into the past. It is well-known for its intact 17th-century city walls.

With some of the best-preserved walls in all of Europe, the city offers a picturesque promenade that offers sweeping views of the surrounding countryside and the River Foyle. landmarks like St. Columb's Cathedral, the Guildhall, and the Tower Museum are scattered around Derry's historic core and together they tell the story of the city's illustrious past.

A notable feature of Derry is its thriving artistic community. The city is home to the internationally popular Foyle Maritime Festival and the yearly Derry Londonderry Halloween Festival, which is one of the biggest Halloween festivals in Europe.

Important cultural hubs that display both domestic and foreign talent in theater, film, and music are the Nerve Centre and the Millennium Forum.