Amina loses AU chair to Chad foreign minister
What you need to know:
In a vote that took 7 rounds to conclude, Kenya’s Foreign minister Ms Mohamed lost to Chad counterpart Mr Mahamat
Addis Ababa. Kenya has lost its bid to have one of its own as chairperson of the African Union Commission.
In a vote that took seven rounds to conclude, Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed lost to her Chad counterpart Moussa Faki Mahamat, to nib in the bud her ambitions to be the Continent’s top diplomat.
It was a vote that had seen Kenya campaign strongly across Africa, with President Uhuru Kenyatta sending special envoys to 53 countries.
But in a race that had five candidates, the final battle pitted Ms Mohamed against Mr Mahamat, both distinguished civil servants in the foreign service of their countries.
Ghana’s former foreign minister Thomas Kwesi Qwartey won the deputy chairperson’s seat.
After the polls, Kenya promptly conceded defeat, with State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu giving the assurance that the Kenyan government would work with the new chairperson.
“We congratulate him on a race well won; we pledge to work with him to defend the pan-African agenda of integration of Africa as well as democracy,” he said.
He added: “Kenya’s Ambassador Mohamed ran a valiant race. Her candidacy marked the re-emergence of Kenya at the very heart of the pan-African project.”
