President Uhuru Kenyatta’s push for the country to secure a seat at the UN Security Council has received major backing.
This is after the country defeated Djibouti in a vote held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The new development means that Kenya becomes the only contender for the seat following the backing of the African countries.
The government is set to secure the non-permanent membership for 2021-2022. Kenya garnered 37 votes against Djibouti's 13. The win came in the second round after the voting took place.
The exercise attracted votes from 51 of the 55 AU member states were present. During the first round of the contest, Kenya got 34 votes against Djibouti's 15 with two abstentions, which forced the exercise to be conducted in the next round after it failed to meet the two thirds majority threshold.
The second round of the voting didn’t have any abstentions after all the members presented took part in the voting process.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Dr Monica Juma said exuded confidence that the country will secure the seat during the presentation at the UN
“This endorsement is an affirmation that Kenya has remained true to the decisions and aspirations of the African Union and confirms that it is a safe and dependable pair of hands,” she said in a statement on Wednesday, as quoted by Daily Nation.