Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma has been elected Chairperson of Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG).
Kenya will be taking over the leadership from Cyprus and will be deputised by Australia.
Ms Juma will serve for a two-year term in the CMAG.
The country has been in CMAG, that is made up of a rotating group of foreign ministers from eight countries, for two years now.
[caption caption="File image of CS Monica Juma with Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Patricia Scotland during the CMAG meeting"]
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The current members of CMAG include Cyprus, Guyana, India, Kenya, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Solomon Island.
Addressing the group meeting convened on Friday on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting in London, Amb Juma stated that Kenya appreciates the role Commonwealth had played during Kenya's electioneering period last year.
"We appreciate the Commonwealth Secretariat for sending professional observers that provided constructive advice during and after the two presidential polls that Kenya went through in 60 days," exclaimed the CS.
CMAG established in 1995, is the custodian of these fundamental political values and help the Secretary-General in seeing to it that timely missions are visited on any of the members having challenges on these values.
The group assesses concerns such as the unjustified postponement of elections, extreme violations of human rights, the undermining of the judiciary, lack of space for the opposition, and systematic constraints on civil society and the media.
The Commonwealth places a high priority on being a community of peaceful, democratic countries which promotes and protects shared values, including the separation of powers, rule of law and human rights.
[caption caption="File image of CS Monica Juma together with UK Minister for Trade Greg Hands after Kenya-UK Economic Development Forum"]
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