Kenya has intensified campaigns to win the highly coveted United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seat ahead of the September vote next year.
Having lobbied its peers in the African Union (AU) and secured the continental approval, Kenya now seeks to woo Asian and middle-east countries in a bid to increase its chances for a non-permanent seat the UNSC for 2021-2022.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and his Senate counterpart Kenneth Lusaka are in Jordan and Malaysia respectively to campaign and consolidate Kenya’s chances getting the seat.
This as President Uhuru Kenyatta has embarked on a charm offensive to global counterparts in a mission that touches on security, trade, economic ties and United Nations politics.
In his meeting with the Jordanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi on Wednesday, Speaker Muturi sought Jordan’s support.
“Kenya plays a key role in the promotion of peace and security within the auspices of the African Union. It is on this premise that we are bidding for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council so as to further this agenda,” Muturi said.
“We are therefore seeking the support of our allies and close friends like Jordan on this bid”, he said.
The Speaker reiterated that Kenya’s entry into the UN’s most powerful body will help Nairobi focus on climate change, sustainable development and the region’s security.
The UNSC is the global organization’s most powerful agency. It has five permanent members (United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia) and 10 non-permanent members who serve two years each in rotation.
To win the vote, Kenya will have to garner a two-thirds majority.
But the harder part could be influencing the council’s decisions.
