The government has launched a comprehensive campaign to support Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairperson position. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi announced that the campaign secretariat is currently organizing application documents and translating Raila’s resume into the six official AU languages: French, English, Kiswahili, Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish. This effort aims to meet the August 6, 2024 deadline for regional nominations to the AU Commission ahead of the February 2025 elections.
Mudavadi, who also serves as the Foreign Affairs and Diaspora CS, emphasized that the translation of the resume is crucial to adhere to the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government’s resolution to adopt the six languages for official communication across the continent. He assured that the translations will be finalized and ready for submission to the AU Secretariat by the end of June 2024.
Speaking outside his office at the Railway Headquarters, Mudavadi detailed that the campaign will be led by a team of experienced experts, including Raila’s strategy team. This team will handle the preparation of Raila’s briefs, development of campaign materials, and preparation for a public debate to be broadcast live across Africa six months before the election date. The campaign team will also identify opportunities, challenges, and risks that Raila may face in his pursuit of the top AU job. Their efforts will be supported by Kenya’s foreign missions and diplomatic corps through strategic shuttle diplomacy.
“Kenya is certain that our candidate, the Rt Hon Raila Amolo Odinga, has the credentials and passion to advocate for Africa’s interests globally and champion more opportunities for Africa and her people,” Mudavadi said.
Raila Odinga declared his interest in the AU Commission chairmanship on February 15, 2024, during a joint press briefing with former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Nairobi. Raila expressed his belief that Africa deserves better representation and that he is uniquely qualified for the role due to his Pan-Africanism and experience as the AU’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.
“It gave me a good advantage to be able to learn about every African country for what they have and their comparative advantages, and I believe that by walking together with the countries, we can make Africa great,” Raila stated at his home in Karen, Nairobi.
Raila’s candidacy has received support from several regional heads of state, including Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Tanzania’s Suluhu Hassan, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame. He aims to replace Moussa Faki of Chad as the new AU Commission chairperson.