According to a Commonwealth secretariat press release,Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma(pictured) on 14 April 2008 warmly welcomed the 13 April announcement of a power-sharing cabinet in Kenya between the Government and the Orange Democratic Movement.
“The agreement on a grand coalition cabinet is a very important step forward,” said Mr Sharma, who will visit Kenya this week as part of his first overseas trip since taking over his post on 1 April 2008.
“I applaud President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga for their statesmanship and agreeing to work together for the good of Kenya.
“It is only through sustained leadership and political will at the top that the interest of the nation will be preserved. This spirit of co-operation will enable the country to tackle some of the challenges posed by the disputed December elections, including resettling thousands of people displaced, strengthening the structures and institutions of governance, and eventually reaching a consensus on a new constitution.”
The Secretary-General added: “We are committed to assisting Kenya in areas such as electoral and constitutional reform, institution-building and supporting national reconciliation and development,” saying these were essential to the functioning of a democratic polity.
The Commonwealth has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-Kenya) to work together to deliver these programmes.
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