Busy calendar for State as Raila AUC chair bid enters crucial stretch

President William Ruto hosts Ghana’s President-elect John Mahama where they discussed the expansion of the intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area. He thanked him for declaring his support for Raila Odinga‘s African Union Commission Chairperson candidature. President Ruto agreed to grace his swearing-in in Accra next month. They were joined by AUC Chair candidate Rt Hon. Raila Odinga in Kilgoris, Narok County. [SUE NYAMASEGE /PCS.] 

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is taking no chances in his quest to be the next African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson. Neither is the government.

On Sunday, President William Ruto hosted Ghana’s President-elect John Mahama at his Narok home in Raila’s company, where the Head of State campaigned for the former premier.

“Thanked him for declaring his support for Hon Raila Odinga‘s African Union Commission chairperson candidature,” Dr Ruto posted on his social media handles.

Raila said: “We expressed our appreciation for his visit and used the opportunity to update him of my campaigns and vision for the African Union Commission Chairperson.”

A week ago, the President hosted outgoing AUC chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat and said they had discussed the election slated for next February.

Raila is among three candidates seeking the position and he boasts the support of several countries. East Africa is behind Kenya’s candidate, with Ruto keen to ensure the region votes as a bloc.

He needs votes from 32 out of the 48 eligible African nations to secure a first-round win in the race to succeed outgoing chair Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, who has served two four-year terms. The opposition veteran is believed to have the support of more than 25 countries.

In a show of might, the President assembled some of the region’s heads at  State House as he unveiled Raila’s candidacy in August.

Ruto seems heavily invested in Raila’s candidacy, with analysts often pointing out that he hopes to reap political benefits.

A Raila victory in February could see him exit the local political scene, leaving his Nyanza bastion up for grabs. A truce between Ruto and the former premier has seen the Head of State received warmly in various tours of Nyanza.

Ruto’s investment in Raila’s candidacy was evident from the start. When the former premier appeared alongside former Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo, he was yet to form a partnership with Ruto.

The two had been engaging in talks through the National Dialogue Committee and it had seemed as though the President had been stringing Raila along.

Ruto would then declare his support for the former premier, tasking the Foreign Affairs Ministry to lead the campaigns. Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei co-chairs Raila’s campaign secretariat.

Over the last few months, Raila’s campaigns have seemed a government affair, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry taking the lead. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has championed Raila’s candidacy on trips abroad, with Dr Sing’oei accompanying the former premier to his campaigns abroad.

“I formally presented Kenya’s candidature for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, seeking the endorsement and support of member states of the Great Lakes Region,” Mudavadi said during a summit of the Inter-Ministerial Committee of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region in Angola.

But Raila will have to overcome the stiff competition posed by Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and former Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard James Randriamandrato.

Earlier this month, the three faced off in a debate in Addis Ababa, the AU’s headquarters, with Raila making a case for his bid.

“I promise the African people that I shall lead from the front to ensure that we achieve the vision of our founding fathers,” he said then.

Last Month, he unveiled his vision at an Addis event graced by top diplomats. That same month, he had toured several West African nations to popularise his bid.

Raila’s inner circle is upbeat that the former prime minister is poised for victory. In an article in a local daily, lawyer Makau Mutua, a member of the secretariat, said Raila had proven that he was the “best man for the job” during the debate.

“If elected, he will be ready on Day One to serve Africa. His stature, mastery of Africa’s key challenges and opportunities, stood out,” Prof Mutua said.

Sing’oei, too, believes Raila is the best fit for the AUC post.

“The AUC needs a leader who is able to mobilise Africa’s unity of purpose necessary to unlock the potential of the continent,” Sing’oei said.