CS AMINA MOHAMMED poised to make history as EAC endorses her for WTO top post – She will be the first black woman ever to hold the post

Tuesday, October 6, 2020 – Sports Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohamed, has received a major boost after she was endorsed by the East African Community (EAC) for the Director-General post of the World Trade Organisation(WTO).

The Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Vincent Biruta, disclosed their preferred candidate through a letter.

“I would like to inform you that Ambassador Amina C. Mohamed is endorsed as the candidate of the East African Community to the post of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation,” Biruta wrote to the counterparts in Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan.

The endorsement comes two days before the global trade regulator reveals the two final contenders narrowed down from 164 members.

The voting began on September 24 and will end on October 6.

The post of the Director-General will be appointed via consensus.

Amina Mohamed, the first woman to chair the WTO’s General Council in 2005, is among the five candidates to be nominated alongside other African counterparts.

In its 25-year history, no female or African has held the top position in the World Trade Organisation.

Biruta stated that Ms. Amina received favorable responses from all member states of the EAC.

“Reference is made to the favorable responses received from all states of the East African Community on the request to support the candidature of the Republic of Kenya of Director-General of the World Trade Organisation,” read part of the statement from Biruta.

Amina has promised to revamp the trade dispute system of the organization which she stated has had limited success for a quarter of a century.

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