Just days after the African Union Commission closed applications for its top positions, Algeria has ramped up its lobbying efforts in Nairobi, seeking support for its Deputy Chairperson candidate.

On Tuesday, Algerian envoy Boumediene Mahi met with Kenya’s National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula, to garner backing for Salma Malika Haddadi, Algeria’s former envoy to Kenya, who is vying for the AUC Deputy Chairperson role.

“Algeria sought Kenya’s backing for its former envoy to Kenya, Salma Malika Haddadi, who has been nominated for the AUC deputy chairperson position, which is hotly contested,” Wetangula stated on X.

Wetangula also took the opportunity to lobby Algeria for support of Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, who is in the race to succeed Chadian Moussa Faki as the AUC Chairperson.

“With Kenya and Algeria enjoying cordial relations, I lobbied support for Kenya’s AUC Chairperson candidate, Rt. Hon Raila Odinga, calling upon the Algerian ambassador to spread a message of goodwill among its allies,” Wetangula added.

Despite Wetangula’s efforts, it is worth noting that the final vote at the AU is cast by African leaders in a secret ballot.

However, his rapport with the Algerians is something to monitor closely.

Wetangula had visited Algiers last year and delivered a message from President Ruto to his Algerian counterpart.

During the 2023 visit, the Algerian President granted a donation of fertiliser to Kenya and offered a one-year deferred payment of fertiliser that Kenya will be willing to buy from Algiers, as well as future commercial contracts at a preferential price.

Kenyan Foreign Policy has yet to confirm whether the Western Sahara conflict, a high-priority issue for Algerian diplomats, was discussed during Tuesday’s meeting.

Algeria remains the foremost supporter of Western Sahara, hosting the Polisario Front’s leadership in Tindouf camps.

In Nairobi, Mahi’s maneuvering isn’t just about securing Haddadi’s position; it’s also aimed at reversing Kenya’s recent diplomatic shift away from Western Sahara in favor of closer ties with Morocco, a move that has left many policy analysts questioning President William Ruto’s tactics.

President Ruto’s government recalled its ambassador to the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and instead appointed its first ambassador to Morocco.

This marked a significant departure from Kenya’s traditional foreign policy, which had prioritized bilateral engagement with Algeria over Morocco.

The shift became particularly evident after Kenya imported nearly 1.4 million bags of fertilizer from Morocco’s state-owned OCP Group, aimed at appeasing local farmers facing fertilizer shortages.

This followed a controversial, now-deleted tweet in which Ruto expressed his intent to sever ties with the SADR.

The Algerian response was swift.

Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf visited Nairobi, bringing gifts and emphasising the importance of strengthening ties between the two nations.

While the visit was symbolic, it was also a strategic counter to Morocco’s growing influence in Kenya.