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The government has once again been left with an egg on its face after it failed to successfully lobby for the appointment of Nancy Karigithu as the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

It is the fifth time Kenya has failed to secure an influential position within the United Nations system in a span of two years, re-igniting the question of Kenya’s strategy on the international stage as well as its overall foreign policy.

Experts also blame Kenya’s poor lobbying efforts for its candidates seeking positions in international agencies as a result of appointing political rejects to ambassadorial positions at the expense of professional diplomats.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi, who is currently pursuing his PhD in international relations, says Kenya’s inability to secure influential positions within international organisations has had significant implications.

“These roles provide a platform for countries to influence global agendas, shape policies, and contribute to decision-making processes,” he said.

The Deputy Governor stated: “By not having a strong presence in key UN and AU agencies, Kenya may find itself, though a regional hegemony, at a disadvantage when it comes to advancing its national interests and participating in critical discussions on global, continental, and regional affairs.”

Perennial failure

Mwangangi says the perennial failure to clinch the positions has not only dented the country’s image on the international stage, but is also a clear indication that those manning the Foreign affairs docket are weak.

It was only last year when then Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo lost her bid to become the first female President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Prior to that, then Energy Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma’s nomination for the post of Secretary-General to the Commonwealth had met a disastrous end after she pulled out of the race citing divisions in the club of mainly former British colonies about her candidature.

This was after her spirited bid with Nairobi spending millions of taxpayers’ money heavily trying to persuade member states to vote for her.

In October 2016, then President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated his then foreign CS Amina Mohamed as Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission chairperson but she lost her bid to chair the continental body because of what was described as Kenya’s “greediness’’ for such posts by some diplomats in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

After the vote in 2017, South Sudan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, James Morgan, said Kenya failed to convince even some of its closest allies from the East African Community to vote for Amina.

“South Sudan voted for Kenya but it is surprising that Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, and Tanzania did not vote for Kenya during the stages. We think it has to do with how Kenya relates to its neighbors. Burundi said Kenya interferes with her internal affairs by condemning the conflict there,’’ the envoy later said. But Amina blamed her loss on the two main languages spoken in Africa.

“Africa is divided along language lines even though the languages don’t belong to us. Yet the authors of those languages do not fight among themselves,” said Amina.

After that unsuccessful bid, President Kenyatta nominated her again as Kenya’s candidate for the World Trade Organization but she missed the cut to the final round of the race to lead the global trade body.

She and two others — Liam Fox (United Kingdom) and Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri (Saudi Arabia failed to secure enough support.

Just six months ago, former Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) acting Director-General Ahmed Ogwell Ouma was floored by Congolese Dr Jean Kaseya, for the continental health body’s top job.

Ogwell, now acting Deputy Director General of Africa CDC had acted for more than a year after his boss Dr John Nkengasong was appointed by the US President Joe Biden to lead the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2021.

Ironically, the position Ogwell is holding in an acting capacity has been re-advertised, leaving questions on whether Kenya would have refined her strategy to clinch it.

On Tuesday this week, IMO, the UN shipping agency, elected Arsenio Antonio Dominguez Velasco from Panama as its secretary-general, ending the six month lobbying for the position.

Dominguez who beat six other contenders from China, Turkey, Kenya, Finland, Dominica and Bangladesh in a vote, will take office on January 1, 2024, for a four-year term, subject to the approval of the IMO Assembly.

IMO’s current secretary-general Kitack Lim from South Korea has served two terms in the role.

Dominguez will take the helm at a crucial time as the shipping industry grapples with challenges including pressures to speed up decarbonisation.

The news came as a disappointment to Kenya, which had been actively supporting Karigithu’s candidacy and underscores the challenges faced by Kenyan candidates in securing influential roles within international organizations.

Kenya has long been criticized for its perceived inadequate lobbying efforts when it comes to securing positions for its candidates in international agencies.

The failure to effectively advocate for its representatives has raised concerns about the country’s diplomatic strategies and the ability to mobilize support from the international community.

According to Prof David Kikaya, a lecturer in international relations and a former senior diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this missed opportunities serve as a reminder of the importance of strong lobbying efforts in the global arena.