Jeremiah Kpan Koung Sr. (born 17 March 1978) is a

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

n politician who is the 31st and current

vice president of Liberia The vice president of the Republic of Liberia is the second-highest executive official in Liberia, and one of only two elected executive offices along with the President of Liberia, president. The vice president is elected on the same ticket w ...

. He served in the

House of Representatives of Liberia The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the Senate comprises the Legislature of Liberia. The number of seats is fixed by law at 73, with each county being apportioned a ...

from 2012 to 2020, and was elected to the

Senate of Liberia The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the House of Representatives comprises the Legislature of Liberia. Each of the fifteen counties are equally represented by two senators, elected to s ...

in 2020. He became the standard bearer of the

Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction The Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) is a political party in Liberia. Background In 2010, former warlord, Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson founded the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP). He contested the 2011 preside ...

in 2022. In 2023, after Koung had become a member of the Unity Party,

Joseph Boakai Joseph Nyumah Boakai (born 30 November 1944) is a Liberian politician who has served as the 26th president of Liberia since 2024. He previously served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, under President Ellen Johnson Sirlea ...

selected Koung as his running mate during his presidential run.

Biography

Koung was born on 17 March 1978 in

Yekepa Yekepa is a town in the Yahmein or Yarmein District of northern Nimba County in Liberia, lying near the Guinean border. It was the base for Lamco's iron ore mining operation until it was destroyed in the First Liberian Civil War which lasted f ...

Nimba County Nimba County is a Counties of Liberia, county in northeastern Liberia that shares borders with the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire in the East and the Republic of Guinea in the Northwest. Its capital city is Sanniquellie and its most populous city is ...

. There he began his primary school education in 1981. He moved to

Ganta Ganta, also known as Gompa City, is a town approximately from Monrovia in Nimba County of northern Liberia. It is located just south of the Guinea border. It is the second-most populous city in Liberia, with an estimated population of 41,106 as ...

with his father in 1983. In 1986, moved to stay with his aunt in Buchanan. His education was interrupted by the

First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War was the first of Second Liberian Civil War, two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe's regime of totalitarianism and widespread Political cor ...

in 1990. By 1996, Koung returned to Ganta after spending years in a refugee camp in

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

. That year he enrolled in high school, graduating by 2001. He started attending

Cuttington University Cuttington University is a private university in Suacoco, Liberia. Founded in 1889 as Cuttington College by the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA), it is the oldest private, coeducational, four-year, degree-granting institution in sub-S ...

in 2006, and graduated with a BA in business administration by 2010. Koung is married to Synleseh Stephanie Dahn-Koung. Koung was elected to the

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

, under the National Union for Democratic Progress banner. Koung's campaign was endorsed by ex-warlord Senator

Prince Johnson Prince Yormie Johnson (6 July 1952 – 28 November 2024) was a Liberian warlord and politician, who served as a senator for Nimba County from 2006 to 2024. Once a rebel leader, Johnson played a prominent role in the First Liberian Civil War. ...

. He represented the Nimba County #1 District. In 2011, Koung began construction of the Ester and Jereline Medical Center. It was completed in July 2016. In an investigation the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia found that Koung, between 2012 and 2021, received nearly US$1 million to run this private hospital. He claimed he had turned the hospital over to the government, however, no documents disclosing such a transfer have been produced. In the 2017 election, Koung was re-elected to his Nimba County House seat under the

(MDR) banner. In the 2020 election, Koung's senatorial run was again endorsed by Senator Johnson. Koung won election to the Senate, again running with the MDR. Koung became the second leader of the MDR party after an election on 22 December 2022, succeeding founder of the party, Senator Johnson. As standard bearer, Koung continued Johnson's policy of opposing the ruling

Coalition for Democratic Change The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) is a political alliance in Liberia. History The alliance was certified by the National Elections Commission on 29 December 2016 to contest the 2017 general elections. The coalition initially consisted ...

. On 28 April 2023, former vice president and standard bearer of the Unity Party (UP),

announced Koung as his running mate for Boakai's 2023 presidential run. Koung became a full member of the UP before to his selection as running mate. After the initial October election, neither Boakai and Koung nor incumbents

George Weah George Manneh Oppong Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former professional Association football, footballer who served as the 25th president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. Before his election for the presidency, Weah served ...

and

Jewel Taylor Jewel Cianeh Taylor (née Howard; born 17 January 1963) is a Liberian politician who served as the 30th vice president of Liberia from 2018 to 2024. She was married to convicted warlord and former president Charles Taylor from 1997 to 2006 an ...

received a majority of the vote, triggering a run-off election in November. On 10 November, during a campaign event in Zor-Zoalay Town, Nimba County, there was an attack involving gunfire. Several were hospitalized, and Senators Koung and Johnson narrowly escaped. On 17 November 2023, after the run-off election, President Weah conceded the election, resulting in Boakai becoming president-elect and Koung becoming vice president-elect.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koung, Jeremiah 1978 births Living people Cuttington University alumni Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction politicians National Union for Democratic Progress politicians Unity Party (Liberia) politicians Vice presidents of Liberia Members of the House of Representatives of Liberia Members of the Senate of Liberia People from Nimba County 21st-century Liberian politicians