Open letter to African heads of state on Raila's AUC candidacy

Raila Odinga was officially unveiled as Kenya's contestant for the AUC Chairmanship position. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Dear Excellencies, I write you this most unlikely letter for it’s the only way I can attempt to gain access to the many presidential villas and state houses across the continent.

As you are aware, the election of the African Union Commission (AUC) chair will take place in February 2025.

This is a window of opportunity that, as a continent, we must seize to be able to navigate the turbulent waters of geopolitical leadership.

The sweeping wave of youths across the continent is not a fad. It’s a testament that the little fragmented African states, for all their desire to power the engines of prosperity and put a material dent in poverty, cannot do so because they are all individually trapped by our domestic political postures.

Let’s face it, the promise and optimism of the 1960s lasted only a short while before the cynicism and treachery of the Cold War era pushed us to overthrow our governments like a nanny changing diapers. This then denied us the benefit of some of our best-trained minds as near-illiterate men, guns in hand, took charge of most African countries.

Blinding cronyism, nepotism and patronage then became the modus operandi in most of our countries. The resultant effect is that we were outpaced even by our economic peers. When most analysts and experts talk about the Asian miracle, they politely remind us of how Africa in the post-independence era became the giant that was so happy to walk with the chicken.

The greatness of many societies, history has demonstrated, is domiciled in unification and greater interconnectedness. What we know as the US today started as 13 measly colonies agitating for independence. It then engaged in a westward expansion that made it the great power that it is today.

We then have Germany and its unification under Otto Von Bismarck from 39 fragmented states and kingdoms to the great unified industrial power before it chaired the biggest imperial conference in 1884, the Berlin Conference.

Then there is Italy and, of course, there is the EU story. I could go on and on. But there was another facet. Infrastructural connectivity. In the US, the interstate highway system opened a new era of commerce and prosperity. The massive railway network is part of how China moved 300 million people from poverty in one generation.

This, therefore, dear excellencies, takes me to the heart of this letter. On August 27, again as you might already know, the East African Community's past and present heads of state gathered in Nairobi to launch the AUC candidacy of one of the finest sons to grace the African soil; Raila Amolo Odinga.

Raila is a visionary man in the mould of Kwame Nkrumah and Sekou Toure, with the pragmatism of Thomas Sankara. He is an engineer both by training and practice. When you hear that Kenya introduced devolution, which has helped accelerate development, it’s in part due to the vision and political skillfulness of the man that Kenyans love to call Baba.

Kenya, for a very long time, had a very poor road network until Raila happened on the scene. The massive investment in our infrastructural take-off was the careful thinking of Raila.

For eight of the 10 years when Kenya made massive milestones, the Road ministry was firmly under him. Raila’s candidacy is a golden opportunity to awaken the African giant. It’s the moment to breathe life into the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. From day one, the boundaries that have held us back will begin to fall.

Due to his last tour of duty as AU High Representative, he brings in massive personal goodwill and institutional memory on how we, the African people, can retool the African continent not as a recipient of charity but as a producer of world goods and services. Raila knows these things. These are some of what he would prioritise and more.

It’s for this reason, dear excellencies, that I write to you on behalf of the young people of Kenya and indeed Africa, that support for Raila, will be support for Africa’s future.

Mr Mwaga is the convener of the Inter Parties Youth Forum. [email protected]