Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will now face off with three candidates for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson position.
Raila will face off with Djibouti Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, and two late entrants from Madagascar and Mauritius. Somalia and Seychelles pulled out their candidates on deadline day.
The African Union had set Tuesday, August 6 2024 as the deadline for the submission of applications for eight top jobs at the AUC, which include the Chairperson, the Deputy Chairperson, and 6 Commissioner posts.
Mahmoud Youssouf visits Nairobi
The Djibouti candidate on Tuesday, August 6 visited Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi in Nairobi, indicating on X, formerly Twitter, that he had come for for “bilateral talks.”
Mudavadi’s office also said thereafter that Youssouf and his counterpart engaged in a “constructive dialogue on regional matters, with a particular focus on peace and security.”
President Ruto’s statement
On the same day, President William Ruto also held discussions with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on AU reforms and Kenya’s bid for the AU Commission Chair.
“Kenya and Mauritius will collaborate to advocate for reforms within the African Union to ensure it is fit for purpose,” Ruto said.
Raila, Youssouf and the two other candidates are seeking to replace Moussa Faki Mahamat whose tenure comes to an end after serving two terms since March 2017.
Roles of AUC Chairperson
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer.
The Chairperson of the Commission is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once.
The Chairperson’s functions, include: overall responsibility for the Commission’s administration and finances; Promoting and popularising the AU’s objectives and enhancing its performance; Consulting and coordinating with key stakeholders like Member States, Development Partners, RECs, etc; Appointing and managing Commission staff; Acting as a depository for all AU and OAU treaties and legal instruments.
The election will be held in February 2025.
