GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Oct 13 – It was a double success for Kenya on Tuesday as the country was elected to two key positions in a specialised United Nations Agency.
Kenya was picked to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Council and the Radio Regulation Board (RRB) during the ongoing ITU’s 18th Plenipotentiary Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The country, which has served in the Council since her first election in 1982, garnered 119 votes out of 161 eligible voting Member States, to return the second highest tally behind Egypt in Region D (Africa).
“Kenya is headed for great things and by supporting each other and working as a team we can achieve anything we put our mind to,” Information and Communications Minister Samuel Poghisio said while congratulating the members.
Twenty countries were contesting for the 13 slots allocated to the African region, which is classified as Region D by the ITU.
At the same time Kenya’s Stanley Kibe was voted in to serve as member of the ITU’s Radio Regulation Board for the next four years.
Mr Kibe garnered 142 votes, the highest tally among all the contestants in the four regions of the Union and he will represent Region D alongside Mustafa Bessi of Morocco and Simon Koffi of Cote d’Ivoire.
Mr Kibe, who is an experienced radio communications engineer, is the Director in charge of Frequency Spectrum Management at the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK).
The Radio Regulations Board is responsible for approving rules of procedure, used by the ITU Radio Communications Bureau, in applying the provisions of the Radio Regulations and registering frequency assignments made by member states. It also considers appeals against decisions made by the Radio Communications Bureau regarding frequency assignments.
The elections results saw Kenya post her best performance ever in ITU elections.
On his election into the Radio Regulations Board, Mr Kibe thanked the minister who led the Kenya delegation and the CCK Director General Charles Njoroge for their support during his campaigns.
“This is Kenya’s victory and I can assure you that I am ready to face the opportunities and challenges that will be presented to me in this position for the benefit our country and our continent,” said Mr Kibe.
Earlier at the start of the three-week conference last week, Mr Njoroge was elected chairman of the Working Group on Plenary. The group is among the seven working structures driving the Plenipotentiary Conference.
The CCK Director General is the only delegate from Africa chairing one of these coordinating organs.
