Kenya’s Last Lap with Amina Mohammed Confident of Victory

Ambassador Amina Mohammed on Monday will be at the 28th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union with Kenya already optimistic of her win as the commission’s chair replacing Dr. Nkosazana Zuma.

“It has been a very fulfilling experience especially because of the response that we have seen from the continent.  We go into this confident that by the grace of God our candidate will win and we hope that in that process we will  sustain the strong spirit of the African unity that we haseen in the course of this campaign,” said Dr. Fred Matiang’i , Cabinet Secretary for Education who is also the Chair Cabinet Sub-Committee on Kenya’s candidature for African Union Commission chairperson position.

Amina will compete with other candidates, namely  Hon. Pelonomi Venson Moitoi (Botswana), Hon. Moussa Faki Mahamat (Chad), Hon. Agapito Mba Mokuy (Equatorial Guinea), Hon. Dr. Amina C. Mohammed (Kenya), Dr. Abdoulaye Bathily (Senegal).

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As the campaigns head to the homestretch, the committee says they have ‘spent very meagre resources based on the prevailing economic conditions and urged the country to support in the initiative. “We have maintained a low budget campaign.”

“We have a national duty at this point in time. Our candidature is about us as a country, we are seeking the AU Chairperson as a country and it is important that we focused on this as a nation, one people, one group citizens of a country,” said Matiang’i.

Matiangi’ noted that besides the negativity received, a lot of Kenyans have supported Amina’s candidature.

The committee stated that if she becomes successful, she will be instrumental in driving the implementation of vision 2063 and Africa will benefit from her leadership that will galvanise member states to collectively negotiate better trade arrangements, coordinate sustainable peace and security, invest in transcontinental infrastructure, scale up African best practices in agriculture, healthcare and education, mobilise private sector and realise the continet’s full potential.

“CS Amina Mohammed has contributed to raise the profile our country. She has run a very effective campaign through her interactions with her colleagues in the continent. We have a very strong candidate, with strong credentials. She enjoys tremendous respect across the continent,” said the committee.

Since her nomination last year in October by President Uhuru Kenyatta for the position of the chairperson of the AUC, there is a lot to gain if Kenya succeeds.

“We will acquire a position of leverage and the chairpersons role at the AUC  is a critical role on the continent. And having just not anybody but our foreign affairs CS, occupying that position will give us amount of tremendous leverage , additional voice as a country, and to further the objectives and the vision of the African Union as we move forward,” said Matiang’i.

He added that, “We are interested in making  a contribution in our continent. We do not want to be just passive members of the African Union. Time is here for our country to step up and make our contribution at our continental level.

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We are demonstrating that we want to make a contribution. We are taking up our place in the continent and the role we have to play,” said the CS.

The Committee disclosed that they have reached out to 51 states out of the 53 AU  member states only Benin and Guinea Bissau remain to be visited on Monday and Tuesday before the elections scheduled for 30 January 2017.

The 28th Ordinary Assembly of the African Union  Heads of State and Government is set for January 30-31 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to the draft agenda, one of the key issues for debate is the appointment of a new leadership at the AUC that will lead to the integration in Africa. The summit will elect a new chairperson, deputy chair and eight commissioners. The eight are responsible for peace and security, political affairs, trade and industry, infrastructure and energy, among other economic issues.

The leadership will help in the attainment of the AU’s Agenda 2063 which was adopted in 2013 and aims to leverage Africa’s resources for the benefit of Africans.

This year’s summit is themed, “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in the Youth.”

Other discussion will revolve around the establishment of a Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) by 2017. The CFTA aims to promote the smooth movement of goods and services across the continent which is projected to consolidate Africa’s population of more than 1 billion and a Gross Domestic Product of more than USD 4 trillion.

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