Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung was officially announced as the next Lord Mayor of Leeds following the council’s annual general meeting last night.
Taking over the role from Al Garthwaite, Councillor Marshall Katung becomes the city’s 130th Lord Mayor and the first person of African descent to hold the position.
Councillor Marshall Katung will be supported throughout her tenure as Lord Mayor by her husband, Nigerian Senator and Lord Mayor Consort, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung.
Councillor Marshall Katung was born in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria, and arrived in the UK to study at the University of Leeds as a postgraduate student in the Politics & International Studies Department in 2000.
Following the passing of her father in 1999, who she credits as a ‘profound influence’ on her life and with instilling in her an ethos of ‘education for service’, Councillor Marshall Katung resolved to honour his legacy and study in the UK.
Transitioning from student to professional life, Councillor Marshall Katung established her own business, while also embracing the joys and responsibilities of motherhood to twin sons, who are now pursuing their own university studies.
Breaking barriers, Councillor Marshall Katung became the first African to become a ward member of Leeds City Council when in 2019, she was elected to represent the Little London and Woodhouse ward in the city centre. This is one of Leeds’s most culturally diverse wards where over 82 languages are spoken. She was subsequently re-elected at the 2023 elections.
Within Leeds City Council, Councillor Marshall Katung has assumed various leadership roles These included chairing the scrutiny board for adults health and active lifestyles and the scrutiny board for infrastructure, investment and inclusive growth. She was lead member for faith and belief, chaired the hate crime strategic board and further education 14-19 years, and is a food champion.
Away from politics, Councillor Marshall Katung is an avid athlete and coach, specialising in sprinting, and serves as a governor at Leeds City College, a trustee of Age UK and Caring Together, and co-chair of the David Oluwale Memorial Association.
As is traditional, the incoming Lord Mayor has chosen a charity to champion throughout her term. Councillor Marshall Katung has chosen the Leeds Community Foundation. She chose this charity due to its wide-ranging support of small, local charities tackling critical societal inequalities such as food poverty, health inequalities, mental health, and digital inclusion, which are all causes close to her heart.
Councillor Marshall Katung will be supported throughout her tenure as Lord Mayor by her husband, Nigerian Senator and Lord Mayor Consort, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung.
Speaking of her appointment, The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung said: “It is with great appreciation and humility that I embrace the privilege of becoming this great city’s 130th Lord Mayor. Since arriving in Leeds in 2000, the city quickly became my cherished second home. It was not just the city where I lived, studied, and worked, it’s where I chose to raise my children and become a public servant.
“My appointment as Lord Mayor has been widely celebrated in the city’s African community and is a shining example of the enormous contribution international students make to UK society. As Lord Mayor of Leeds, I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure voices are heard from all areas of the city and every triumph is recognised and celebrated.”
