President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday night sought consensus from his African colleagues as he drummed up support for Foreign Affairs CS Amina Mohamed.
The President met 30 other leaders on the sidelines of the COP22 in Morocco and made a pitch for Mohamed, seeking to have other candidates possibly step down for her.
Mohamed has been proposed as the next African Union Commission chairperson. Kenya has been playing up her previous international roles for Kenya and Africa in the global arena.
Kenya believes it is the time an East African led the AUC, as none has ever held the position since 2002.
In the AU voting system, most countries are likely to take their cue from their regional groupings, such as the EAC, Southern Africa Development Community, or the Economic Community of West African States.
South Africa’s Dlamini Zuma is the current chairperson ( 2012 to 2016 ).
She was preceded by Jean Ping of Gabon ( 2008 - 2012 ).
Alpha Konaré of Mali was chairman from 2003 to 2008. Before him was Amara Essy of Côte d’Ivoire, who was the interim chairperson during the transition from the Organisation of African Union between 2002 and 2003.
Meanwhile, Deputy President Willliam Ruto was in Egypt, where he met President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail in Cairo.
“Special envoys of the President, including Ruto, have reached out to more than 35 countries to build a consensus around the candidature of the Foreign Affairs CS.
