Kenya banks hope on one last slot in another AU contest

Kenya’s chances at getting a slot in the management of the African Union (AU) now rest on one last contest after its other candidates lost out in a changed structure of the continental body.

After last week’s elections at the AU, Nairobi will have to wait for the outcome of a race for the commissioner of Health, Humanitarian affairs and Social Development to see if it can be represented.

The African Union last week postponed the contest for this position and that of the commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, choosing to make a decision at the next meeting of the AU Executive Council.  Sudan’s Amira Elfadil Mohammed and Prof Sarah Agbor of Cameroon will continue to serve in their current positions in the meantime, the AU announced.

Survived first two hurdles

Kenya’s Ahmed Ezra Ogwell Ouma, the current deputy director of the Africa CDC will go again for the contest, having survived the first two hurdles that included interviews from a panel.

According to the final candidature for this post, he will compete with Ivorian Justin N’Guessan Koffi and Mauritanian Verges Aicha Vall. In the interview with the panel, Dr Ouma tallied behind the Ivorian with a score of 74.99 per cent against Koffi’s 81.66 per cent.

The interviews were part of reforms proposed by President Paul Kagame to make the African Union better managed. Those rules suggested that contenders for the six commissioners’ posts must have at least a Master’s degree in a relevant field, at least a decade of experience in a regional organisation and proficiency in at least one of the four main languages spoken at the AU.

Faki re-elected

Last week, Mr Moussa Faki Mahamat was re-elected chairperson of the AU Commission unopposed and Rwanda’s Monique Nsanzabaganwa voted in as deputy after defeating two other female candidates; — Uganda’s Prof Pamela Mbabazi and Djibouti’s Hasna Bakarak Daoud.

Dr Bankole Adeoye of Nigeria was elected commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, while Ms Josefa Sacko (Angola) was chosen again to head Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment. Zambia’s Albert Muchanga was re-elected to head Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining docket while Egypt’s Amani Abou-Zeid (Egypt) was chosen again to lead the Infrastructure and Energy docket.

Mr Kagame’s reforms saw the number of commissioners reduced from eight to six, seen as a way to reduce overlapping of duties. For example, previously, there were different commissioners for Economic Affairs and Trade, and Political Affairs and Security. This time, the AU renamed the two as commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining; and Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security

In the final contest that saw 25 people compete for commissioners, Dr Ouma and former Transport PS Cyrus Njiru had been included.

Kagame’s reforms

The changes to the system focused on “equitable regional representation, gender parity, predictable rotation, attracting and retaining Africa’s top talent, accountable and effective leadership and management, and transparent and merit-based selection,” according to a bulletin by the continental body.

But this was very much a race of regional give-and-take, according to Kenya’s officials involved in the lobbying.  This is despite the AU rules demanding that voting for commissioners, done by foreign ministers, is through secret ballot.

“Of course we always support our candidates,” an official told the Nation on Tuesday.

“But the system is fixed so if there is someone from another region already in the job, then we can compete but if we have someone from our region, then we cannot compete.”

Dr Njiru, who had sought the post of commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, had qualified for the election phase after scoring 79.74 per cent during interviews, more points than the re-elected Amani Abou-Zeid, the Egyptian, and Coletha Uwineza Ruhamya of Rwanda, who got 73.43 per cent. The group was topped by Amos Marawa of Zimbabwe, who got 87.34 per cent.

Regional balancing

Because of the regional balancing tradition, some quit the race, allowing Egypt to cling onto this post since 2013 when Dr Abou-Zeid replaced compatriot Elham Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim. For example, the Kenyan and Zimbabwean quit so the Rwandan can get the deputy’s post, sources told the Nation.

Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, the Gambian who was vying for the deputy chairperson’s seat announced she had quit the race after the regional bloc — Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) — decided to back the Nigerian diplomat Adeoye. The resolution also meant that Ghana had to withdraw its candidate for the deputy chair, Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee. Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire also withdrew their candidates for commissioners.

Mr Adeoye will replace Smail Chergui, although the initial docket included a separate post for Political Affairs, which was held by Ms Minata Cessouma Samate of Burkina Faso.

Kenyans Stephen Wainaina — who wanted to be commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining — and Tim Murithi, a specialist in conflict management on the continent, had also initially expressed interest to run for the AU commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. They did not get past interviews conducted by a panel headed by former Cameroonian Prime Minister Philemon Yang, Ethiopian diplomat Kongit Sinegiorgis, Namibian Prime Minister Tuliameni Kalamoh and Hassan Bubacar Jallow, the Gambian chief justice; and audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers Associates Ltd, a Mauritian firm.

Initially crowded

But even in the changed system, the East African region did not appear to rally around single candidates, allowing the race to be initially crowded. In 2017, Sudan’s Amira Mohammed Elfadil was the only commissioner successful in her contest from the East African region, even though Burundi, Djibouti and Uganda had fronted candidates for various departments.

Kenya had fronted Amina Mohamed (now Cabinet secretary) for the chairperson’s seat while Djibouti had nominated Yacin Elmi Bouh (now ambassador to Kenya) as contender for deputy chairperson.

In the 2021 race, South Sudan, for example, had initially fronted six candidates, including some who competed for the same posts. They all failed at interview stage. Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania also had candidates. Other candidates from Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and Burundi were dropped for not making the cut.

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