Jamaica is the latest country to back Kenya in the country's quest for non-permanent seat at United Nations Security Council.
Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma, who is part of the delegation accompanying President Uhuru Kenyatta on his trip to Jamaica, yesterday announced that the Caribbean nation has accepted to back Kenya in the 2020 race.
“Prime Minister Holness also committed Jamaica’s support to Kenya’s bid for the non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the year 2021-2022,” she said on her Twitter handle.
Uhuru and his team of senior government officials on Monday held bilateral talks with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness where a number of agreements among them Memorandum of Understanding on technical cooperation in tourism , fields of sports, culture and heritage as well as a framework of cooperation between the two governments and an MoU on political consultations were signed.
Last month, Botswana President Erick Mokgweetsi Masisi also pledged that his country will support Kenya saying he was confident Kenya will not only push for the interests of Botswana but Africa at large.
Juma who sits on the Executive Council of the African Union used the recently concluded Africa Union Summit in Niger which it is reported that a number of countries also pledged to support Kenya.
There will be two seats up for grabs for Africa and for Kenya to win it must garner a two-thirds majority.
Kenya has been a non-permanent member of the council twice in 1973-1974 and 1997-1998.
The UNSC comprises five permanent members with veto powers. They are France, Russia, China, UK and the US. Five of the 10 non-permanent member slots are shared between Asian and African countries.
While the five permanent members have veto powers on issues such as peace and security and can sanction military invasion, the none members of the hand do not veto issue but rather use their membership to speak on issues affecting their regions.
