EAC to jointly campaign for Kenyan candidate for AU Commission chair

The East African Community has agreed to collectively campaign and lobby other African countries in support of Kenya’s bid for the African Union Commission chairperson job. Kenya has fronted Dr Amina Mohammed, the cabinet secretary for foreign affairs and international trade, for the AU Commission chair. The decision was reached at the weekend by Ministers for Foreign Affairs from the regional bloc following a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by Dr Augustine Mahiga, the chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers. Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo also attended the meeting. In a tweet on her timeline on Saturday, Mushikiwabo said the meeting in Nairobi aimed at coordinating the bloc’s campaign for Mohammed. According to a post-meeting statement issued after the sessions in Nairobi, the ministers directed the EAC Secretariat to convey the decision to all African regional economic communities to solicit their support. “The ministers reiterated the endorsement of the candidature of Amb. Amina Mohamed as the EAC candidate for the position of chairperson of the African Union Commission. The ministers further agreed to collectively campaign and lobby other African Union countries for their support,” the statement reads in part. Mohammed’s nomination was announced by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta last month. She is expected to battle it out against Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, from Botswana, and Agapito Mba Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea during the African Union summit slated for January. Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, from Uganda, who was previously East Africa’s preferred candidate for the position has since pulled out of the race. The elections were initially slated for July during the African Union Summit held in Kigali. However, they were postponed to January during the summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after each of the three candidates failed to garner the required two-thirds majority. Days to the elections, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) had written to the African Union Commission calling for postponement of the exercise on the grounds that none of the candidates was qualified enough for the position. A section of countries then went on to abstain from voting, consequently denying candidates the required two thirds majority. Mohammed has been on the campaign trail in recent weeks in a number of African countries and has held lobbying forums in several countries in a bid to secure the required two thirds majority. The current AU Commission chairperson, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chose not to seek a second term. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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EAC to jointly campaign for Kenyan candidate for AU Commission chair