Kenyan loses bid to head AU free market platform

A Kenyan candidate and a former adviser to the Trade and Markets East Africa (TMEA) Jason Kap-Kirwok has been edged out in his bid to become first Secretary-General the African Continental Free Trade Area whose secretariat is located in Accra, Ghana.

Mr Kap-Kirwok was among six finalists from a group of 125 candidates, all African citizens, who applied for the position.

The Business Daily learnt last week that candidates from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), (Faustin Wanga — a Senior Economist at World Trade Organization), Nigeria (Cecilia Akwiomide — former Vice President and Secretary- General of African Development Bank) and South Africa (Wamkele Mene — the chief negotiator from South Africa on the African Continental Free Trade Agreement) emerged the three finalists.

The AU Selection Panel interviewed Mr Kirwok and the other five shortlisted applicants at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa as part of the selection process.

The successful candidate is expected to start work from March, after approval from the Heads of State during Summit last weekend.

Intense political lobbying for the top job is expected from the various countries.

Selection panel members unclude United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi, AU Trade Commissioner Albert M. Muchanga, South African Trade Minister Ebrahim Patel, Senegalese Trade and Industry Minister Alioune Sarr, the Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Vera Songwe and the African Export — Import Bank (Afreximbank) Benedict Oramah.

Mr Kap-Kirwok a former Kenya Airways #ticker:KQ board director presently works for the Kaizen Company, a midsize Washington DC based consulting firm.