Kenya says welcoming UAE candidate for UN chief does not signal endorsement

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 — Kenya says it has not endorsed any candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, clarifying its position after publicly welcoming the candidature of the United Arab Emirates’ Lana Nusseibeh.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei said Kenya was following the ongoing selection process but had yet to declare support for any contender seeking to succeed António Guterres.

“Quite to the contrary, Kenya has not expressed support for any candidate at this point,” Sing’Oei said.

“We are following keenly the ongoing campaigns for UNSG, including the expression of interest by new candidates keenly, and are confident that a candidate with the capacity to lead the UN at this critical juncture will not only receive our support but that of the majority of Members of the UN.”

His clarification follows remarks by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi welcoming Nusseibeh’s candidature, in which he cited her extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and service within the UN system.

Mudavadi said Kenya looked forward to working with Nusseibeh to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and Africa.

The government’s statement welcomed her entry into the race but did not explicitly declare Kenya’s support for her candidacy.

The UAE formally nominated Nusseibeh, its Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former ambassador to the United Nations, for the position of Secretary-General.

She joins a field of candidates seeking to succeed Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, 2026.

Straw polls

The contest has been shaped by informal straw polls conducted by the 15-member UN Security Council, where candidates need sufficient support without opposition from any of the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — to secure a formal recommendation.

The Council must recommend a candidate to the UN General Assembly, which makes the formal appointment.

The latest straw poll, held on October 16, saw all seven candidates receive at least one “discourage” vote from a permanent member, highlighting the divisions facing contenders.

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall subsequently withdrew his candidature, saying he hoped the decision would help pave the way for a consensus candidate.

Sall cited indications from the straw polls of a preference for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, potentially a woman.

The remaining candidates include Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki and María Fernanda Espinosa, Uganda’s Olara Otunnu, and Nusseibeh.

Although the UN Charter does not prescribe regional rotation for the position, General Assembly Resolution 51/241 calls for due regard to be given to regional rotation in selecting the Secretary-General.

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.