Kartumu Yarta Boakai
Kartumu Yarta Boakai
Full Name: Kartumu Yarta Boakai
Native Name: Kartumu Yarta Boakai
Role: First Lady of Liberia
Spouse: Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
Children: Four
Nationality: Liberian
Years Active as First Lady: 22 January 2024–present
Introduction
As the wife of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr., Kartumu Yarta Boakai serves as the First Lady of the Republic of Liberia. Since becoming First Lady in 2024, she has brought to the role a remarkable personal story shaped by humble beginnings, education, faith, counseling, and decades of community service.
Born in a small village in Bomi County, Kartumu Boakai experienced firsthand many of the hardships faced by rural Liberian children, including limited access to education and basic services. Those experiences would later become central to her dedication to children, women, people with disabilities, and other marginalized communities. �
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Her public life has extended well beyond the traditional ceremonial duties of a First Lady. She has worked as an educator, administrator, counselor, and humanitarian, while also establishing her own foundation dedicated to helping people in need. Her journey from a village girl to Liberia’s First Lady gives her story an especially compelling place among the world’s First Ladies.
Official Title: First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
As the spouse of the President of the Republic of Liberia, Kartumu Yarta Boakai serves as the nation’s First Lady.
Although the position carries no constitutional authority, it provides an important platform for humanitarian advocacy, public engagement, and national representation. She accompanies the President at official functions, meets with community organizations and international partners, and supports initiatives aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable Liberians. �
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Early Life
Kartumu Yarta Boakai was born on 6 August 1950 in Jawajeh Varney Boohn, a small village in Bomi County, Liberia.
Raised primarily by her mother with support from her grandmother, she grew up in circumstances where education and basic necessities were difficult to access. Her childhood included working on her grandmother’s farm, selling goods in local markets, walking long distances, and coping with limited access to clean water and healthcare.
These experiences profoundly influenced her later commitment to improving opportunities for women and children.
Education and Career
Kartumu Boakai graduated from high school in 1968 and began her public-service career the following year at the Monrovia Post Office while continuing her education.
She later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Liberia and a Bachelor of Theology from the Baptist Theological Seminary. She also trained as a psychosocial counselor, developing particular expertise in counseling and psychotherapy. �
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Her professional career included teaching, school administration, human-resource management, hospital administration, and work in the private sector. She also taught in Washington, D.C., during the 1980s.
Family Life
Kartumu Boakai met Joseph Nyuma Boakai while studying at the University of Liberia.
The couple married in 1972 and have four children. Their marriage has lasted for more than five decades, spanning President Boakai’s career in agriculture, government, the vice presidency, and ultimately the presidency.
Family and Christian faith remain central to her public identity. She also serves as head of the Deaconess Board of Effort Baptist Church, reflecting the importance of faith and community service in her life. �
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Becoming First Lady
On 22 January 2024, Joseph Boakai was inaugurated as President of Liberia, and Kartumu Yarta Boakai became First Lady.
She entered the role with extensive experience supporting communities and vulnerable populations. Before becoming First Lady, she had already served as Second Lady during her husband’s tenure as Vice President from 2006 to 2018.
During that period, she headed the Group of 77, an organization dedicated to improving opportunities for people living with disabilities in Liberia. �
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Public Role
As First Lady, Kartumu Boakai has continued her focus on women, children, families, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities.
Her humanitarian work includes the Kartumu Yarta Boakai Foundation for Humanity, which she established in 2015. The foundation operates under the theme “Lending a Helping Hand When and Where Needed Most” and reflects her long-standing commitment to assisting people in difficult circumstances. �
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She has also supported healthcare and family-focused initiatives. In 2026, she participated in the groundbreaking of a maternity hospital in Monrovia and spoke publicly about the importance of strengthening families and creating safe, nurturing environments for children. �
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A Story of Resilience and Service
Kartumu Yarta Boakai’s life story is particularly distinctive among contemporary First Ladies.
Her journey began in a rural Liberian village where educational opportunities were scarce, yet she went on to become an educator, counselor, administrator, humanitarian, and eventually the First Lady of Liberia. Rather than distancing herself from the difficulties of her childhood, she has used those experiences to inform her advocacy for people facing similar challenges.
Her public identity is therefore rooted not only in her position beside the President, but in a lifetime of service to others.
Legacy in Progress
Since becoming First Lady in 2024, Kartumu Yarta Boakai has continued a decades-long commitment to humanitarian service.
Her advocacy for women, children, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities, combined with her background in education and counseling, has given Liberia’s First Ladyship a distinctly compassionate character.
As Liberia continues to pursue development and greater social inclusion, Kartumu Boakai remains a powerful example of how personal resilience can become a foundation for public service. Her journey—from a village child with limited opportunities to the First Lady of Liberia—is one of perseverance, faith, and a lifelong determination to lend a helping hand where it is needed most.
- 06 August 1950
- Liberia
- Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.
- 22 January 2024-present
