Why the AUC project is a matter of life and death for Kenya
“The Kenyan government is leaving nothing to chance in the country’s quest for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC),” said Raila Odinga’s campaign secretariat head, Dr Korir Sing’oei.
Dr Sing’oei, who will co-head the Secretariat with former Kenyan Ambassador to the United States Elkanah Odembo, said they will leave nothing to chance until Mr Odinga is given the seat.
He said the loss of this position would leave the country in the lurch for more than three decades due to the rotation principle.
“We have to make him chairman because if we fail, Kenya will need 30 years because the whole thing is on a rotation basis,” said Dr Sing’oei.
Ruto vie for Raila’s AUC chairmanship in State House
At its meeting in March, the African Union Executive Council ratified the recommendations of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, including interregional rotation, which allows the Eastern Region to nominate candidates for the Chair, while the North African Region has the right to nominate candidates for the Vice-Chair post.
Dr. Sing’oei noted that if Kenya loses the February 2025 election, it may not be sustainable for other East African Community (EAC) states to give another Kenyan candidate a chance in the near future.
“While it is another opportunity for East Africa, Kenya will still allow any of the East African countries to nominate one candidate,” he said.
President William Ruto is expected to raise Odinga’s case on the sidelines of the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to be held in Beijing next week from September 4 to 6.
On Tuesday, President Ruto announced Mr Odinga’s candidacy at a ceremony attended by EAC Heads of State Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Samia Suluhu (Tanzania), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Burundian Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca and numerous other dignitaries, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria) and Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania).
Mr Odinga is also expected to launch his campaigns next month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the AU headquarters.
Kenya plans to use its High Commissioners and Ambassadors, as well as diplomats and heads of delegation, in its large-scale campaigns across the continent.
On Tuesday, the government exerted its influence by securing the support of the East African Community (EAC) states when it officially announced Odinga’s candidacy at State House in Nairobi.
President Ruto said it was important to mobilise effective collective action for the benefit of the citizens of the countries of the region and the entire African continent.
“Our East African region, home to over 500 million people, rightly sees this as the moment to show leadership based on the principle of interregional rotation.
“I am encouraged by the fact that the leadership of our region is more aware than ever of the complexity and dynamics of the challenges that form the regional and broader international context of our pan-African moment,” said President Ruto.
The Head of State praised Odinga as a visionary pan-African leader and described the former prime minister, his political arch-enemy and later friend, as “a courageous and wise leader, a professional and technocrat, as well as an outstanding statesman and experienced mobilizer for positive change.”
“I am confident that he will do his best and do everything to make Africa proud and strong,” Dr Ruto said.
Dr Ruto described Mr Odinga as a celebrated statesman whose long-standing commitment to democratic change was the foundation for sustainable freedom and prosperity.
“Kenya has benefited from progress both at the general level of national governance and in the development of specific sectors as a result of reforms driven by the patriotic league of indomitable visionaries like Hon Odinga. He has the requisite professional capacity and experience, a proven track record of transformative leadership and extensive experience of success at the national and regional levels.”
Odinga promised to work towards the abolition of visa requirements for travel within Africa and the removal of trade barriers and outlined his vision of a united continent characterized by peace and prosperity for all.
“As a lifelong Pan-Africanist, I will offer participatory leadership to ensure the fulfillment of the priorities of the African people as envisaged in the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” he said.
“This is Africa’s century… We must harness our enormous human and natural resources and combine the energy of our youth with the vision and wisdom of our leaders.”
He added: “Please buy my vision, the prerequisite for this is 34 or more votes in the first round. I appeal in particular to my fellow citizens in East Africa to walk this path together and travel to Addis as a team in February 2025.”
