Alice Wairimu Nderitu has been appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a special adviser on the prevention of genocide.
Guteres while making the appointment on Tuesday said that Wairimu is knowledgeable in the prevention of violence and peace building.
“…a recognised voice in the field of peace building and violence prevention, having led as mediator and senior adviser in reconciliation processes among communities in her country, Kenya, as well as in other African settings,” part of the Guterres statement read.
Wairimu who is the founder of Community Voices for Peace and Pluralism will take the mantle from Adama Dieng, a Senegalese jurist who has held the position since 2012.
She takes the seat a few months after the arrest of 1994 Rwanda genocide mastermind Felicien Kabuga.
Kabuga stands accused of financing the genocide and has been in custody since his arrest. Kabuga will be facing a UN tribunal on Wednesday.
Wairimu also worked as a commissioner at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
She also served as the as Director of the Education for Social Justice programme at Fahamu between 2007 and 2009.
His expertise in peace building and prevention of violence saw her monitor the recently concluded Tanzanian elections.
Her new position requires her to whistleblow on situations she perceives could end up in violence or a genocide as it happened in Rwanda more than two decades ago.
A holders of a master’s degree in Armed Conflict and Peace Studies (2013), Wairimu has authored and co-authored several books and manuals on conflict prevention, peace building and human rights.
Until her appointment, she worked as a member of African Union’s Network of African Women in Conflict Prevention and Mediation (FemWise-Africa).
