Media and Public Affairs

Richard Uku

Spokesperson and Director

Richard Uku, who is a Nigerian, British and Trinidad and Tobago national, is Spokesperson and Director for the Communications and Public Affairs Division.

Mr Uku joined the Secretariat in April 2012 from the African Development Bank where he was the Head of External Relations and Communications. Prior to that, he was Group Head, Brand and Communication, at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI). He previously worked as speechwriter to the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and was Head of Communication for the Africa Region of the World Bank. Mr Uku was also Vice President for Government and Emerging Markets with the international public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7747 6380
Email: r.uku@commonwealth.int

Vic Holdsworth
Deputy Director

Victoria liaises with European and Canadian media on Commonwealth matters and supports the work of Secretariat divisions' media and publicity. She is the point of contact for media in the United Kingdom, Malta, Cyprus and Canada, as well as for youth affairs and trade issues.

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7747 6383
Mobile: + 44 (0) 789 459 3520
Email: v.holdsworth@commonwealth.int

Julius Mucunguzi
Communications Officer

Julius is the Assistant Spokesperson for Africa. He is the media contact person for the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and Special Advisory Services Division (SASD).

He handles media issues on International Trade, International Finance and Capital Markets, Small States, and Environment, as well as Investment, Export Promotion, Debt Management and Enterprise and Agriculture. Julius liaises with the media, sets up, manages and coordinates press briefings, produces and distributes press releases. He advises on media and public affairs strategy to EAD and SASD.

Before joining the Secretariat in June 2006, Julius was a Senior Communications Officer with World Vision Uganda, an international development, humanitarian and advocacy organization operating in 100 countries. He has worked as a journalist with Uganda’s main newspapers and taught the subject at Makerere University in Uganda. He has published literature on media, conflict and peace building

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7747 6382
Mobile: + 44 (0) 79 222 99 809
Email: j.mucunguzi@commonwealth.int

Yvonne Chin
Communications Officer

Yvonne produces video and audio content for the Secretariat’s website and develops programmes on the organisation’s work for broadcast in the Commonwealth.

She briefs journalists about the Commonwealth’s activities and makes media arrangements for its public events. Yvonne joined the Secretariat from Jamaica where she worked as a producer/news anchor in radio and television and as a university lecturer teaching broadcast television.

Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7747 6514
Mobile: + 44 (0) 791 246 3750
Email: y.chin@commonwealth.int