Kenya Lands Endorsement From Africa Group For UN Security Council Seat.

It seems like the second time can be a charm. After a second round of voting by the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), Kenya won the endorsement for the United Nations Security Council seat for the 2021-2022 term.

Speaking to the public on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the win against Djibouti. The Africa Group which is comprised of the 54 African Union member States makes up a good 28 per cent of UN membership. On August 5th, the first round of voting took place and Kenya held an impressive 33 votes out of a total of 49 ballots cast. The victory fell short of a two-third threshold. 

Following the  Permanent Representatives Committee’s endorsement, Kenya will represent Africa as the sole candidate at polls which will be held in New York in June next year. The nation must have the support of two-thirds of UN member States (129 votes) to win the temporary seat at the UNSC which is made up of China, France, the Russian Federation, the United States and the United Kingdom who seat as permanent members. In the past, Kenya has served two terms as a UNSC non-permanent member in 1973/74 and 1997/98. The country hopes to win come next year and be part of the big dogs in the UN high table.