Museveni appoints 'vote Kazibwe' team

Four former ministers, deputy speaker Jacob Oulanyah, opposition lawmaker, Cecilia Ogwal and Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs have been dispatched by government to popularise former Vice President, Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe's bid for the African Union Commission chairperson.

The special envoys, who were appointed by President Yoweri Museveni, also include Henry Okello Oryem, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Baba, the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Daudi Migereko, the former Minister for Lands, Fred Jachan Omach, the former State Minister for Finance and Syda Bbumba, the former Minister of Finance.

"Their role is to meet heads of state of the African union and canvass support for Uganda's candidate. They each carry a special message from president Museveni and are armed with the candidate's special attributes," said Margret Awino, a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kazibwe, who is the former United Nations secretary general's special envoy for HIV/AIDs in Africa and a member of the African Union (AU) panel of the wise, is the Eastern region candidate for AU's top job.

The battle to replace South Africa's Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, has attracted two other contenders—Botswana's minister of foreign affairs, Dr. Venson-Moitoi Pelonomi and Mokuy Agapito Mba, the Equatorial Guinea's minister of foreign affairs.

During the 27th AU summit in Kigali, Rwanda, which is expected to start on July 17, African Heads-of State from the 54 member states are expected to elect the next African Union Commission chairperson.