Ruto Forms Committee to Campaign for Raila’s AU Chairperson Role
President William Ruto has introduced a committee to advocate for the candidacy of Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio la Umoja party, for the position of chairperson of the African Union (AU).
The exchequer-funded committee, comprised of government representatives, plans to expand its membership by including officials from the opposition to enhance the strategy.
As per information from local sources, Ruto advocated for Raila across multiple African nations, facilitating the opposition leader’s declaration of interest in the top position at the African Union.
On Friday, Musalia Mudavadi, the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, declared in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the leadership of the African Union should now be assumed by Eastern Africa.
“The Central, Southern and Western Africa regions have had their share since 2002, so it is now time for the Eastern and Northern Africa regions. Under the rotational rules, Eastern Africa has the first opportunity when the term of the current chair expires end of this year,” Mudavadi stated.
Leaders of the Azimio la Umoja, headed by Kalonzo Musyoka, expressed their support for their leader on Friday, pledging to back his candidacy for the top position in the African Union.
“We fully support his decision, and we shall back his candidature to our fullest capacity,” Kalonzo stated.
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On Thursday, February 15, Olusegun Obasanjo, the ex-president of Nigeria, gave his support to Raila for the AU position. He emphasized that the Azimio leader was the most suitable candidate to succeed Moussa Faki.
“I have been consulting widely. I think I am ready to serve the continent of Africa,” Raila stated while speaking after the endorsement.
Raila Odinga has also embraced the endorsement to contest the position of the Africa Union Commission, scheduled for February 2025. The opposition leader garnered support from fellow members at the AU, urging them to endorse his candidacy based on his outstanding performance in his previous role as the High Representative for Infrastructure Development in the union.
“It means that I am going to work for Africa for the period that I’ll be in that office. It doesn’t mean that I will not participate in Kenyan politics forever, it is only during that period,” Raila told a local media station.
Should Raila Odinga be elected, he will fulfill a term at the African Union spanning from 2025 to 2028, concluding a year after Kenya’s upcoming general elections.
Ruto Forms Committee to Campaign for Raila’s AU Chairperson Role