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New town mayor receives delegation from Kenya

Tony Fisher
BBC News, Bedfordshire
Reporting fromDunstable
John Chatterley Nine people, all black, dressed in bright colours standing around a desk where a Sally Kimondo is sat. On the desk is a large book and a pen and an iPad. In the background are windows and there are trees beyond.John Chatterley
Kimondo (centre) said she did not realise the impact her mayorship would have on her home country and in Dunstable

The first black mayor of a town has received a government delegation from her home country of Kenya.

The official visit to Dunstable Town Council in Bedfordshire from the capital of Kenya took place on Friday, two weeks after Sally Kimondo was appointed mayor.

Kimondo, 47, said it was a "privilege" to receive the phone call telling her the delegation would be visiting from Nairobi City County.

She said: "I am getting so many invites to go and speak at events in Kenya but my priority is the people of Dunstable."

She said she did not realise the impact becoming mayor had made "back home in Kenya and even in Dunstable".

Kimondo said she truly felt "honoured" to become the first black mayor of the town and said it "shows that multiculturalism is being celebrated in Dunstable".

Tony Fisher/BBC Sally Kimondo, a black woman, wearing a pink cardigan and the mayoral chain over her shoulders looking into the camera. In the background is a wall with two pictures and a radiatorTony Fisher/BBC
Sally Kimondo said that taking on the role of mayor was quite "overwhelming" and "humbling"

Kimondo, a Labour councillor, is a social worker in children's services and has lived in Bedfordshire for more than 20 years, and in Dunstable for five years.

She succeeded the first independent mayor of the town, Louise O'Riordan.

At her inauguration, she said her message was "be kind to people as you do not know what they are going through".

She thanked the people of Dunstable, as she said everyone had been very welcoming and she had not received any negative comments.

John Chatterley A black woman dressed in red, with chains around her shoulders, shaking hands with a black man with glasses. There is a mace in the background and a window looking out on to some treesJohn Chatterley
Among the delegates was director of youth affairs at Nairobi City County, Daniel Ngari

"This moment is not just about me; it's about every child who now sees someone who looks like them in leadership. It's about a town that chooses unity, growth, and representation," she explained.

"Every charity and community group plays a crucial role in making our society better."

She picked the CHUMS children's charity and Hospice at Home Volunteers as her chosen charities.

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