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President William Ruto will officially launch Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the African Union Commission chairmanship next week.
The event, set for Tuesday, will also introduce the joint campaign secretariat tasked with driving the AU bid.
The campaign secretariat, located at the Railways Building, will include members from both Raila’s team and government officials, including Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Mudavadi emphasized the importance of the launch, urging Kenyans to support Raila’s bid. “President Ruto will formally announce Raila Odinga as Kenya’s candidate on August 27,” Mudavadi said. “Raila embodies Kenya’s voice and values on the continent. Let’s unite behind him not only as a government but as a nation.”
Mudavadi, speaking alongside Raila at the Railways offices, described Raila as a statesman and affirmed the government’s full support for his candidacy. “As a nation, we have always rallied behind our representatives on the global stage. Let’s support Raila with the same enthusiasm we showed our athletes,” Mudavadi added.
Raila thanked the government for backing his candidacy and expressed optimism about securing the position. “I’m pleased with the Kenyan government’s support. We’ve submitted our applications to the AU secretariat and are moving forward,” Raila said.
Kenya officially submitted Raila’s bid for the AU chairmanship in July, with Raila’s ally Makau Mutua and Kenya’s ambassador to Addis Ababa, George Orina, present.
Raila is competing against Djibouti’s Mohamoud Youssouf, Mauritius’s Anil Gayan, and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato.
He has launched a comprehensive campaign across Africa, including recent visits to Brazzaville, Congo, where he sought support from Sasso Nguesso, and to Felix Tshisekedi in DR Congo, who endorsed him.
Raila plans to visit Dakar, Senegal, to engage with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and will attend the COMESA summit in Bujumbura.
Additionally, he is scheduled to participate in the UN General Assembly in New York in September and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November.
Before the end of the year, Raila will also meet with regional economic communities and corporate leaders to discuss Africa’s economic opportunities and challenges. The vote for the AU Commission positions, including chairperson and deputy chairperson, will take place in February.
