Born in March, 1951 to cocoa farmers in the Ashanti Region, Her Excellency Mrs. Kumi had her elementary schooling at the Domiabra Presby and Mmofratrom Girls Boarding School in Kumasi. She went on to Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast, and St. Monica's Girls Secondary School, Mampong- Ashanti. She was later educated at the Université d'Aix- In Provence Marseilles and Université de Paris, sceaux, where she obtained her first degree in International Relations (Diplôme d'Etudes Politiques. Specialisation: Relations Internaitonales) in 1974 and Post Graduate Degree (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures Specialisées 3e Cycles).

She also holds a Masters Degree in Political Science from the University of New Delhi and a post-graduate diploma in International Law and Law of International Institutions from India Society of International Law.

H. E. Mrs. Kumi joined the Ghana Foreign Service in September, 1976 and served in various capacities within the Ministry and at Ghana's Overseas Missions. She also attended a number of Major international conferences, including the UN Conference on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties, Vienna, 1978, and the 1st UN Conference on Trafficking of Illicit Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Vienna, 1987.

H. E. Mrs. Kumi participated in diplomatic training programmes at the Diplomatic Training Institute of the University of Nairobi and at the Institut International d'Administration Publique in Paris, France. She has served in Ghana's diplomatic Misions in New York, Copenhagen, Moscow, Addis Ababa and Abuja. She has, since November, 2004 assumed the position of Supervising Director for the Legal, Multilateral and Passports Department of the Ministry. H. E. Mrs. Bema Kumi was appointed Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to Belgium and the European Union in February, 2006.