State sets up campaign secretariat for Raila's AUC bid

Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi and opposition leader Raila Odinga during a joint media briefing at Kenya Railways, Nairobi on June 5, 2024. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The State will set up a campaign secretariat to prepare opposition leader Raila Odinga for the upcoming African Union chairmanship nominations on August 6.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, speaking at a joint press briefing with Odinga at Kenya Railways in Nairobi, said the campaigns will be led by highly experienced and knowledgeable officers.

"The secretariat will be responsible for drafting all necessary briefs for the candidate, producing campaign materials, and arranging for a public debate to be broadcast live across Africa. This will occur six months before the election date," said Mudavadi.

"Presently, the team is finalising preparatory and application documents, including translations of the resume into six AU languages: French, English, Swahili, Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish. These should be ready for submission to the AU Secretariat by the end of June 2024," he added.

At the same time, the Prime Cabinet Secretary said an empirical campaign strategy had been developed including identifying opportunities, challenges and risks that Odinga might face.

"The candidate's values and leadership align closely with the AU Commission's principles of efficiency, professionalism, and respect for diversity. We are confident that the candidate will pursue excellence in line with the continent's collective aspirations, as outlined in the AU's development agenda for 2063," noted Mudavadi.

On his part, Odinga expressed gratitude for the support he has received from senior government officials in his bid for the AUC position.

"I want to emphasise that I am vying for a position within Africa, not within the Kenyan government. However, I require the endorsement of the Kenyan government for this African position. With dedication and effective coordination between my team and the government, we should be able to secure the AUC position," he said.

Odinga has previously served as the African Union's High Representative for Infrastructure Development until his tenure concluded in 2023.