Kenyan refugee is Northern Ireland's first Black mayor

Lilian Seenoi-Barr is set to become the first Black mayor in Northern Ireland. The local councillor, who arrived in Northern Ireland as a refugee, has been selected as the new mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council.

- NADINE WHITE

This comes after she made history as the first Black politician to be elected to public office in Northern Ireland last year, when she was elected as a councillor in the Foyleside district of Derry.

Hailing her groundbreaking mayoral appointment yesterday, Kenya-born councillor Ms Seenoi-Barr said she’s “proud to be a Maasai woman and a Derry girl”. She went on: “I cannot express how much the honour of serving as mayor of Derry and Strabane means to me.

“The people of this city have taken me into their hearts and everywhere I go I never fail to be amazed at the warmth, kindness and generosity of the people who live here. Having initially come to Derry as a refugee facing an uncertain future, I can now truly say that my family have found their home.

“The significance of my appointment as mayor is not lost on me, and I will work for every single person in this city regardless of their religion, ethnicity or background. These are the values I have carried with me since getting involved in politics and are reflected in the ethos of my party.”