UN appoints Kenya’s Nderitu as Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Alice Wairimu Nderitu of Kenya as Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

Nderitu succeeds Adama Dieng of Senegal.

A statement from the Secretary-General’s office said Nderitu has been a recognized voice in the field of peacebuilding and violence prevention, having led as a mediator and senior adviser in reconciliation processes among communities in Kenya, as well as in other African settings.

Experience

She served as Commissioner of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission in Kenya (2009-2013) as well as Founding Member and co-Chair of the Uwiano Platform for Peace, a prevention agency linking early warning to early response in Kenya.

Nderitu is also the founder of Community Voices for Peace and Pluralism, a network of African women professionals preventing, transforming and solving violent, ethnic, racial and religious conflicts worldwide.

Her national experience includes serving as Director, Education for Social Justice at Fahamu (2007-2009), Head of Human Rights Education and Capacity-Building Programme for the Kenya National Human Rights Commission and its predecessor body the Standing Committee on Human Rights (1999-2007) as well as Researcher and Administrator, Kenya Prisons Services, Ministry of Home Affairs (1992-1999).

Nderitu serves as Member of the Kenya National Committee on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and all Forms of Discrimination, the African Union’s Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (Fem-Wise), and the Women Waging Peace Network.

Education

She holds a Masters of Armed Conflict and Peace Studies degree and a Bachelor of Arts, Literature and Philosophy from the University of Nairobi.

Nderitu is also a Transitional Justice Fellow, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa.

She is widely published and is the recipient of awards recognising her commitment to peaceful resolution of conflicts throughout Africa and innovative approach to mediation.

In the video below, Nderitu shares her thoughts and experience on conflict resolution:

Adama Dieng

Guterres  has expressed deep gratitude to Dieng for his dedicated leadership and achievements.

He also extended his appreciation to Navamanee Ratna (Pramila) Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who has been serving as Acting Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.