The Government of Kenya has established a campaign secretariat to support political premier Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson. At a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi announced the formation of the secretariat following a consultative meeting with Mr. Odinga and his team to assess their preparation levels for the AU’s top job.
Confident in Odinga’s potential to secure the position, Mudavadi emphasized the government’s unwavering support for its candidate. “We have no doubt that the candidate will pursue excellence in line with the continent’s collective aspirations of the Africa we want in 2063 as framed in the AUC development framework,” he stated.
Mudavadi elaborated on the campaign strategy, noting that the secretariat will collaborate closely with Odinga’s team. “It will prepare all the briefs for use by the candidate, develop campaign materials including digital presence, and prepare for the public debate to be broadcast live for African citizens,” he explained. The secretariat is also tasked with finalizing preparatory and application documents, translating Odinga’s resume into six languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, English, and Kiswahili, with submissions due by the end of June ahead of the August 6, 2024 regional deadline. Public debates are scheduled six months before the election date.
Odinga welcomed the government’s support, expressing his willingness to work closely with the respective teams to achieve his goal. “With committed and proper coordination between my team and the government, we should be able to clinch the seat. We agreed that synergy is going to be critical as we embark on the next steps that include the submission of my application,” he said. Odinga is leveraging his extensive experience, relationships, and understanding of the continent to garner support from numerous nations.
Odinga has already received endorsements from nine heads of state, including Kenya’s William Ruto, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni. Other leaders who have pledged their support include Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, DR Congo’s President Félix Tshisekedi, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo, and Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
CS Mudavadi highlighted the positive reception of Kenya’s candidature, attributing it to President William Ruto’s lobbying efforts across the continent.
The African Union Executive Council’s decision on March 15, 2024, designated the Eastern Africa region to submit candidates for the AUC chairperson position. Odinga will compete against Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf and Somalia’s former deputy prime minister and current parliament member Fawzia Yusuf. If successful, Odinga will serve from 2025 to 2028, succeeding Chad’s Moussa Faki, who completes his second term next year after first being appointed in 2017 and re-elected in 2021.
