Lilian Seenoi-Barr (born October 1981)[1] is a Kenyan-Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party politician who has served as Mayor of Derry City and Strabane since 2024.
[3] She first arrived in Northern Ireland as a refugee in 2010,[4][5] after being invited to Derry by the Changaro Trust, which had helped to build schools in rural Kenya.
[4] On 29 April 2024, it was announced that Seemoi-Barr would become Northern Ireland's first black mayor after the Social Democratic and Labour Party appointed her as Derry and Strabane's First Citizen, succeeding Sinn Féin's Patricia Logue.
"[4] Colum Eastwood, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and the Member of Parliament for Foyle, described Seenoi-Barr's appointment as "a historic moment" and said she "will be an incredible mayor".
Jason Barr, serving as deputy mayor of Derry and Strabane at the time of Seenoi-Barr's appointment, resigned from the Social Democratic and Labour Party, saying he had been "left in an untenable position due to the decisions made by the management committee".
[11] News of her appointment attracted online abuse from prominent far-right figures and conspiracy theorists, such as Alex Jones and David Icke.