AU contest: Uganda takes Kazibwe bid to West Africa

Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe. File photo

Kampala. Uganda has turned to West African leaders for bloc support for its candidate, Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, as campaigns for African Union chairperson goes to the wire ahead of next month’s vote. The regional bloc has no candidate in the race.
Officials familiar with the matter said yesterday that President Museveni has thrown his weight to sway fellow heads of state to support Dr Kazibwe, a former vice president.
Mr Okello Oryem, the state minister for International Affairs, described the campaign to replace outgoing chairperson Dlamini Zuma as “stiff” but said Dr Kazibwe’s candidature was by far “the strongest”.

“She is a doctorate degree holder; served on AU’s committee of the wise; served as vice president, and has served in various capacities. I don’t think the candidates have qualifications that match hers,” he said.
Dr Kazibwe, 60, the choice for eastern Africa, faces competition from Agapito Mba Mokuy, 51, the foreign minister of Equatorial Guinea, also the choice of central Africa and Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s Dr Pelomi Venson-Moitoi, 65, the foreign affairs minister of Botswana.

Eastern Africa nod
The head of communications for Dr Kazibwe’s campaigns, Ms Sarah Kagingo, confirmed to Saturday Monitor that Uganda had secured backing for the ex-VP’s candidature from 14 countries - all from eastern Africa and is now looking for support from Ecowas to guarantee a win.
“We are also sending special envoys to the rest of other countries to talk to heads of state because, clearly, we don’t have enough time left,” she said, adding: “Ours is not just a campaign; we are advancing pan-Africanism, and telling these people [that] let us build on what we already have and Dr Kazibwe is the only one with impeccable credentials to do that.”

A new AU chairperson is to be elected at the 27th African Union ordinary summit in Kigali, Rwanda between July 10-18.
A South African news site, eNCA, reported on Thursday that Algerian foreign affairs minister Ramtane Lamamra and former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete were likely to join the race ostensibly because the current three contenders are “below par”.
The publication gave no reasons for the unfavourable rating of the trio and did not show how newcomers would be allowed in the race past the March 31 nomination deadline.
Minister Oryem Okello, however, described this “as malicious propaganda intended to malign our candidate.”