The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Kenya’s government has officially filed documents to support Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).
The submission, led by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei, was made to both the Dean of the Eastern Region, Dharmraj Busgeeth, and the Office of the Legal Counsel of the African Union in Addis Ababa.
Sing’oei outlined that Raila Odinga’s focus as AU Chair would include promoting African Integration and Infrastructure Development, Economic Transformation, boosting Intra-African Trade, achieving Financial Independence, ensuring Gender Equity and Equality, advancing Agricultural Transformation, addressing Climate Action, enhancing Peace and Security, and supporting Youth Empowerment across Africa.
The AU’s 22nd Extraordinary session of the Executive Council in Addis Ababa on March 15, 2024, set February 2025 as the election date for senior AU leadership roles. It was agreed that the Eastern region would propose candidates for the Chairperson position, while the Northern region would nominate candidates for the Deputy Chairperson role.
Candidates for Chairperson must submit their resumes in the AU-approved format along with a brief statement of their vision for the role, addressing key issues facing the AU and the continent in at least two of the Union’s working languages. The vision statement should not exceed one and a half pages and will be published on the AU’s dedicated webpage.
In support of Raila Odinga’s candidacy, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi detailed a comprehensive campaign strategy on June 5, 2024.
This plan includes setting up a campaign secretariat within the State Department for Foreign Affairs, conducting outreach to AU member states, and organizing a live public debate six months prior to the election.
Mudavadi expressed confidence in Odinga’s ability to win the position and affirmed the government’s full support for his campaign. He emphasized that Odinga is expected to uphold the continent’s goals as outlined in the AUC’s development framework for Africa’s vision in 2063.
