Minister
Atty. Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah is a public servant with over a decade of experience serving in various capacities within Liberia’s public sector. She is a consistent advocate for youth and women’s empowerment and is widely regarded for her strong work ethic and results-driven leadership.
She is a graduate of St. Teresa’s Convent in Monrovia and the African Leadership Academy in South Africa. Atty. Kruah holds professional degrees from institutions across the world, including Stella Maris Polytechnic University, Kingston University in London, and the University of Liberia, with academic training in economics, politics, and law.
Early in her career, she led a team of young Liberians on the “Put Ma Ellen There” Project, which resulted in a bust of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf being installed in the gardens of the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica.
This initiative brought her to the attention of Mrs. Olubanke King-Akerele, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Angie Brooks International Center (ABIC), who appointed her Youth Program Officer, formally launching her career in public service.
She subsequently served in several senior administrative and policy roles, including Program Assistant in the President’s Delivery Unit at the Ministry of State, Executive Assistant to the Minister of Public Works, and Chief of Office Staff to the Minister of Education.
In recognition of her service and leadership, Atty. Kruah was awarded one of Liberia’s highest national honors, the Order of the Star of Africa (Officer), by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She also received the 2023 National Golden Image “Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Courage Award” for her resilience and leadership during the political violence surrounding the Monrovia County District #13 Bi-election, an episode that placed her and her family at significant personal risk.
Politically active from her university years, Atty. Kruah was an engaged member of the Student Reformation Movement at Stella Maris Polytechnic University. Though underage at the time, she actively supported the 2005 presidential campaign of Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by mobilizing family and community support. At age 21, in 2011, she formally joined the Unity Party, rising through the ranks from National Assistant Secretary-General for Press and Public Affairs to National Vice Chair for Inter-Party Relations and NEC Affairs.
Following the election of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Atty. Kruah was appointed Deputy Minister of State for Administration, serving at the core of the presidency.
Atty. Kruah was nominated by President Joseph Boakai as the Minister of Youth & Sports and subsequently confirmed by the Liberian Senate. She is the youngest female in the Ministry’s history to hold the position.
She is also one of the inaugural fellows of the AMUJAE Initiative of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development.
She is the mother of a teenage son.
