Kenya officially fields foreign affairs boss for AU Commission top job

President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has disclosed that the east African nation has officially nominated the cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Amina Mohammed, for the African Union (AU) Commission chairperson post.

Describing her as ‘confident,’ Kenyatta added that Amina ‘‘will serve our continent with the requisite professionalism, intellect, skill, integrity, passion and commitment.’‘ Adding that she had distinguished herself at local and international levels in diplomacy.

The position of the AU commission chair was supposed to be filled during the last summit held in July in Rwanda. But all three candidates failed to secure the required number of votes, hence the then outgoing chair, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma accepted to stay on till January 2017 when a new election is held.

Statement on nomination of AMB_A_Mohammed as Chairperson of the _AfricanUnion Commission https://t.co/ZhUiOLscHM pic.twitter.com/sIRVjyYhz3

— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) October 3, 2016

Subsequently, the AU on August 9, 2016; reopened nominations for the top job of AU Commission chairperson. Aside the chairperson’s post, slots for a deputy chair and eight commissioners are also available to be filled.

‘‘The elections are scheduled to be held during the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for 30-31 January, 2017, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,’‘ the AU statement added.

There were three candidates who vied for the post in July; Uganda’s former vice president Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, Bostwana’s Foreign Minister Pelonomi Venson Moitoi and Agapito Mba Mokuy, Equatorial Guinea’s Foreign Minister.

The elections were suspended since none of the three contenders for the position of the Chairperson of the Commission obtained the required two-thirds majority, after seven rounds of voting.

The official spokesperson of the Kenyan presidency has been tweeting the reaction of Amina Mohammed to her nomination.

CS AMB_A_Mohammed - I am humbled & privileged to have been nominated by President UKenyatta to contest the post of Chairperson of AUC

— Manoah Esipisu MBS (MEsipisu) October 3, 2016

CS AMB_A_Mohammed - If elected, I will do my best to serve the continent well. I thank President UKenyatta for the confidence and trust

— Manoah Esipisu MBS (@MEsipisu) October 3, 2016