The Government of Kenya has formed a campaign secretariat to work with Azimio leader Raila Odinga to support his candidature for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson role.

Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Nairobi, Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi disclosed that they held a consultative meeting with Raila and his team as part of preparation for the AUC  job.

Mudavadi said that a campaign secretariat which includes Raila’s strategy team has been established.

“I want to laud President Ruto for fully endorsing the candidacy of Raila Odinga and continuing to extensively engage with his counterparts in diverse regions of the continent. So far, our candidature has been positively received,” said Mudavadi.

“In Raila Odinga, we [Kenya] have a visionary leader to fire up the African Union to greater levels. 

“Raila is a pan-Africanist who naturally espouses the ‘think-Africa above all’ guiding principle of the AU Commission. 

“He holds dear the AU’s ambition of being a people-centered organization,” he added.

Mudavadi added that the team is firming up preparatory and application documents together with requisite translations of Raila’s resume into 6 languages; Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, French, English, and Kiswahili.

Additionally, Mudavadi noted that the submission preparations will be made by the end of June 2024 ahead of the deadline for regional submissions set for August 6, 20204. 

On his part, Raila welcomed the government’s offer, noting that he is willing to work closely with the respective teams to help him achieve his dream of becoming the next AUC chairperson. .

“With committed and proper coordination between my team and the government, we should be able to clinch the seat. We agreed that synergy is going to be critical as we embark on the next steps that include the submission of my application,” said Raila.

“On my own, I am making all efforts to tap into my experience, relationships and understanding of the continent to win the support of as many nations as I can.

“I am very encouraged by a number of senior Gov’t officials offering to be part of this journey (AU Commission Chairperson candidacy), out of an understanding that we are in this as Kenya and not as partisan political parties. I appreciate the offer of support,” said Raila.

Meanwhile, Raila clarified that he is vying for a position in Africa, not in the government of the Republic of Kenya.

However, the Azimio leader noted that the government’s endorsement has played a key role in his bid for the AUC job.