Governance
June 21, 2020
2 minutes read

Kenya- Somalia Maritime Border Row: How Advantageous is the UN Security Council Seat for Kenya?

By Brian Wafula The African Union (AU) had earlier endorsed Kenya for the seat but Djibouti was unsatisfied and conducted…

By Brian Wafula

The African Union (AU) had earlier endorsed Kenya for the seat but Djibouti was unsatisfied and conducted parallel campaigns for the position allocated for Africa.

After 191 member states cast their votes, Kenya won the Africa seat at the UN Security Council after garnering 129 votes against 62 votes for Djibouti in the second round of the polls.

This victory means that Kenya returns to the most powerful organ of the UN after about 23 years and Kenya will be part of Key decision making on global peace and security.

This comes ahead of the unsettled maritime border row with Kenya’s neighbour- Somalia.

Kenya just needed this win to help unravel the row just when the two countries are getting ready to get into a major international court battle to protect the maritime territory said to be rich in oil and gas reserves.

Kenya’s win also serves to provide trust to the world of the legitimacy of the African Union who was the first to make endorsements for Kenya as a perfect fit for the position.

President Uhuru lauded the win and termed it as a demonstration of Kenya’s growing profile, he also thanked the AU for endorsing Kenya.