United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres made the announcement on Tuesday.

“Ms. Nderitu has been a recognized 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,” a statement on the UN website reads.

She will be taking over from Adama Dieng of Senegal.

Ms. Nderitu previously served as Commissioner of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission in Kenya (2009-2013) as well as Founding Member and co-Chair of the Uwiano Platform for Peace, a prevention agency linking early warning to early response in Kenya.

She is also the founder of Community Voices for Peace and Pluralism, a network of African women professionals preventing, transforming and solving violent, ethnic, racial and religious conflicts worldwide.