Government forms secretariat to help Raila cement AU bid

Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi said that they have held a consultative meeting with Mr. Odinga and his team to touch base on the levels of preparation for the AU's plum job.

While exuding confidence in Odinga's potential to clinch the seat, Mudavadi asserted that the government will fully throw its weight behind the nation's candidate and will offer any support needed.

"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 said.

To affirm his commitment, Mudavadi said that Odinga's candidacy campaigns will now be led by the state and the created secretariat will work closely with Mr. Odinga's consultation 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," said Mudavadi.

"The team is firming up preparatory and application documents together with requisite translations of the resume into 6 languages; Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, English, and Kiswahili."

He added that the submission preparations will be made by the end of June ahead of the deadline for regional submissions set for August 6, 20204. 

Public debates will be held six months before the election date.

On his part, Mr. Odinga welcomed the government's offer noting that he is willing to work closely with the respective teams to help him achieve his monumental quest.

"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," said Odinga.

"On my own, I am making all efforts to tap into my experience, relationships and understanding of the continent to win the support of as many nations as I can."

Odinga added that he has received heartwarming affirmations from "senior government officials" willing to join his journey to the AUC chairperson seat.

CS Mudavadi added that deliberate efforts by President William Ruto to lobby for support from other African states have borne fruit and "so far our candidature has been positively received".

So far Odinga has secured endorsements from 9 heads of state among them Kenya's William Ruto, Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and Yoweri Museveni (Uganda).

Other leaders, according to Odinga, include; "Mama Suluhu has said she will support me, Salva Kiir has accepted. The other day I was with Ramaphosa, and he said yes, Tshisekedi has said yes.”

Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Zimabwe counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa have also endorsed the Kenyan firebrand.

A unanimous decision by the African Union Executive Council, on March 15, 2024, deliberated that the Eastern Africa region submit candidates for the position.

Odinga will have to take the ring against Djibouti's Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf and Somalia’s former deputy prime minister and current member of the Federal Parliament Fawzia Yusuf.

If Odinga clinches the job he will serve from 2025 to 2028.  

The seat is set to fall vacant next year as its current occupant, Chad's Moussa Faki, is set to finish his second term.

Faki was first appointed in 2017 and won a second term in 2021.