Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in the Republic of Kenya.

Kenya is a regional and continental leader as well as a strategic and historic partner to the UK. On 5 September, following Kenya's Supreme Court ruling to uphold the results of the 9 August Presidential election, Minister Ford, my predecessor as Minister for Africa, congratulated President-elect Rt. Hon. William Ruto.

The UK welcomes the commitment President-elect Ruto has made to governing in a spirit of inclusivity and reconciliation and welcome the crucial role played by his opponent, Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, over the years, in contributing to the evolution of democracy in Kenya. We also applaud the rising role of women in Kenyan politics and the improvements in this made since 2013 and 2017, in part due to the work of civil society organisations and other non-state actors to equitable participation.

We look forward to continuing our work with the next Kenyan Government and all the country's elected leaders and ensuring the longevity of the UK-Kenya partnership.