Kalonzo Musyoka to head peace mission in Juba

President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed the former vice president and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as his special envoy to South Sudan.

“The president has appointed Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, former Vice President as his Special Envoy to the Republic of South Sudan,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Kalonzo, who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in President Moi’s government for five years, will reportedly be expected to “accelerate the implementation of the revitalized agreement on conflict resolution in South Sudan”.

“The appointment is a furtherance of Kenya’s efforts towards shared prosperity in the region, in general, and to the pursuit of lasting peace and security in South Sudan,” the statement states.

The appointment comes at a time when Uhuru is hosting South Sudan President Salva Kiir who is in the country for a state visit.

During a state banquet on Monday, Uhuru appealed to the leadership of South Sudan to consolidate the peace dividend to accelerate the country’s social and economic growth.

“The leadership of South Sudan, across the entire spectrum, have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to forge for a lasting peace that provides the internal stability and enabling environment for your country’s take-off, both economically and socially,” Uhuru said.

Handshake

Kalonzo’s appointment follows Raila Odinga’s appointment as the African Union special envoy for infrastructure, following the handshake peace deal between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta in the wake of the political standoff that followed the disputed 2017 elections.