NAIROBI, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed former vice president Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka as his special envoy to South Sudan to help promote peace, stability and reconciliation in the world's youngest republic.

"This appointment is in furtherance of Kenya's commitment towards shared prosperity in the region, in general, and to the pursuit of lasting peace and security in South Sudan," Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Musyoka's appointment was announced after South Sudan's President Salva Kiir's two-day state visit to Kenya that focused on deepening trade ties between the two neighboring countries.

The former Kenyan vice president is expected to spearhead efforts to hasten implementation of the revitalized agreement on conflict resolution in South Sudan.