Sharma urges Kenya to consolidate reconciliation

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma met Kenya's political leaders on 18 April 2008 and urged consolidated and decisive advance in the process of reconciliation following the swearing in of a power-sharing cabinet the same week.

Mr Sharma, in Kenya on the second leg of his first overseas visit since taking up office, congratulated the leadership on the recent accord.

He stressed the importance of concord and harmony, and of Kenya's leadership, at the highest levels, carrying the message of reconciliation to all the people, to send a powerful signal that the past is behind them and that sustained stability, peace and prosperity lie ahead.

Mr Sharma offered President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga the partnership of the Commonwealth and its support in meeting the multi-faceted agenda the government has set itself. These include constitutional, electoral and judicial reforms, truth, justice, and reconciliation and inter-ethnic harmony.

"The Commonwealth has a wealth of experience and a record of collaboration with member states," Mr Sharma said after separate meetings with the leaders. "Strong governance institutions are at the heart of a democratic polity and we are ready to assist in every practicable way in strengthening these institutions."

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga warmly indicated their readiness for a collaborative programme with the Commonwealth.

Mr Sharma and Kenya's leaders also discussed current Commonwealth concerns, including the implementation of mandates from the Kampala Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as well as the emerging global crisis in food security.

The Secretary-General also held talks with House Speaker Kenneth Marende, emphasising the important place of parliament in building a stable democracy. The role of parliamentary committees and the need to reinforce them featured in the discussions. Both noted that there has already been considerable parliamentary co-operation through the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Mr Sharma also met in Nairobi with former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and his team and discussed ways in which the Commonwealth could extend further support to the initiative of the Panel of Eminent African Persons which has been instrumental in brokering the national accord in Kenya.

Secretariat Links:

• Country Profile: Kenya
• 2007 General Elections in Kenya - Report of the Commonwealth Observer Group
• Secretary-General