Kenya exuded so much confidence her candidate, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, would win the January 30, 2017 elections for the chairperson of the African Union Commission, it was taken as a fait accompli. And for good reason too. The country expended a lot of energy, time and resources traversing the breadth of Africa to campaign for her. But as with all elections, nothing is certain until the final count is made.
Amina’s loss to her Chadian counterpart Moussa Faki came as a big slap in the face for Kenya. It was a big blow for the country after all it put into making Amina’s election a reality. President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto ran a campaign to popularise her with the same vigour they ran campaigns to discredit the International Criminal Court in 2014.
The two had been taken to task over human rights violations in Kenya’s 2007/2008 post-election violence. On that occasion, victory was theirs. Not this time, and there are lessons to be drawn from that.
From the outset, it was never made clear what strategic national interests rode on Amina’s election as the chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Dr Amina will be remembered most for her spirited lobbying to get Africa out of the International Criminal Court; an idea that did not get the support of many African countries. In a way, this might have given rise to suspicion towards Kenya’s real intent to head the AU commission.
Kenya made its pitch at a time deep political fissures ran across the country. In essence therefore, Kenya’s push for Amina’s election was, to many Kenyans, viewed as a Jubilee agenda not deserving the support of all Kenyans. There was an element of jubilation and snide remarks on social media following Amina’s loss to Faki.
Kenya made its pitch amid growing restlessness within workers’ ranks and the ongoing doctors’ strike has not made matters easier. Too many deaths and a lot of suffering ride on the doctors’ strike to have made Kenyans sympathetic to the Government’s cause. Drought is ravaging half the country and Government’s response has been wanting at best.
While using our diplomatic missions would have saved money, been effective and time-saving, the President and his deputy took it upon themselves to run Amina’s campaign. More intriguing was why the Government did not consider using the expertise of career diplomats who have made a mark on the international scene. Career diplomats like Bethwel Kiplagat, Dr Sally Kosgei and Macharia Kamau, Kenya’s representative at the UN headquarters in New York would have made a difference with their experience and network of friends.
Though it may sound far-fetched, enlisting the Opposition’s support would have given Kenya’s push a more nationalistic look and ensured success. There is no denying the extensive international network the Opposition has could have been relied on, but because the Government sat back on its laurels, content with its work, it lost its bid.
It is a bitter pill for Kenya to swallow that even among the East African bloc, it did not get the support of at least four countries. And here too, there is food for thought; why has Kenya earned the mistrust of allies and neighbours?
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