By Zephania
Ubwani
Kampala — African
Union (AU) leaders, currently in Addis Ababa for their twice a year summit,
will today vote for a new chairperson of its Commission, a position eyed by
Kenyan cabinet secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ms Amina Mohamed.
With the backing of
the East African Community (EAC) and shuttle diplomacy across Africa by Kenya
government representatives, the 56-year-old diplomat and politician is upbeat
to win the top post also contested by four other candidates, three of them from
the Francophone/Spanish speaking zone.
President Uhuru
Kenyatta, was forced to abandon the election campaigns now heating up in his
country to travel to the Ethiopian capital on Saturday apparently to lobby for
the election of his cabinet secretary.
The Kenyan leader's
lobbying strategies for Ms Mohamed is likened to what Mwalimu Julius Nyerere
did in 1989 when as former Tanzanian president and an influential leader in the
continent led an "army' of Tanzanian official to successfully campaign for
the election of Salim Ahmed Salim as the secretary general of the Organization
of African Unity (OAU), a position he held for 12 years.
Kenyan diplomats have
been around several African capitals seeking support from the AU member
countries for their candidate for the post which is crucial for the day-to-day
running of body which oversees the unity and development agenda for the
continent.
-Africanews
AEP
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