Kazibwe AU Dream Job ‘Hangs In Balance’ As Kenya Joins Race
Kenya's Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed
Kazibwe AU Dream Job ‘Hangs In Balance’ As Kenya Joins Race
Uganda’s former Vice President, Specioza Wandira Kazibwe’s hopes of replacing South African’s Dlamini Nkosazana Zuma as African Union Commission chairperson hang in balance after neighbouring Kenya joined the race.
The government of Uhuru Kenyatta announced on Monday afternoon that Amina Mohammed, the country’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, had been submitted for the post.
In July this year, African leaders meeting in Rwanda’s capital Kigali for the African Union summit postponed the election of Zuma’s replaced to January 2017. The election was suspended after none of the candidates won the necessary two-thirds majority.
It was widely predicted that none of the three candidates for the post of AU commission chairperson would win the necessary two-thirds of votes in the election.
During the elections in July, Botswana foreign minister Pelonomi Venson Moitoi topped the poll in the first round with 16 votes, while Equatorial Guinea foreign minister Agapito Mba Mokuy came second with 12, and Uganda’s former vice president Specioza Wandira Kazibwe picked up 11 votes and was eliminated in the first round. However, it later emerged that Kazibwe could still participate in January when the election takes place in Adis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Amina according to analysts is believed to be a ‘strong candidate’ compared to Kazibwe considering the fact that she is a career diplomat. It also means that East Africa now has two candidates for the post if Kazibwe goes ahead to contest further complicating matters.
Zuma has been the AU chairperson since 2012 and did not apply for a second term.
The postponement automatically meant that the mandate of the outgoing administration was extended for another six months.
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