Economy

Kenyan elected to head UN postal union

PIX3

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka congratulates Mr. Edouard Dayan, the outgoing Director General of Universal Postal Union (UPU), during a reception at Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha Qatar. Looking on is Ambassador Bashir Hussein, the Kenyan who replaced Dayan.

A Kenyan has been elected director general of the Universal Postal Union, a United Nations body responsible for the development of postal business in the world.

In an election held in Doha, Qatar, Amb. Bashir Hussein beat his sole challenger for the post, Dr. Serrena Bassini Casco, from Uruguay, by 87 votes to her 72 to claim the coveted post.

The position of Deputy Director General went to Mr. Pascal-Thierry Clivers of Switzerland, who beat Mr. Denis Delehanty of the United States of America.

“Amb. Hussein becomes the highest placed Kenyan in the UN system. He is the first Kenyan to head a United Nations body,” said the industry regulator, Communication Commission of Kenya ( CCK) in statement.

He will serve for a period of four years.

Amb. Hussein is a former Postmaster General of the Postal Corporation of Kenya. He has also served as Kenya’s ambassador to Abu Dhabi. Before his election, Amb. Hussein had been serving as chairman of the Council of Administration of the UPU. He was elected to the post in 2008.

At the same time Kenya was also elected to serve in the Postal Operations Council of the UPU for a period of four years.