Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged Raila Odinga, who is vying for the position of chairperson of the African Union Commission, to rally African leaders in support of development if he is elected.
During the closing ceremony of the Piny Luo Cultural Festival in Siaya County on January 2, Museveni expressed Uganda’s full support for Odinga’s candidacy.
He also encouraged the seasoned opposition leader to facilitate discussions among regional leaders on effective strategies for transforming Africa.
“We’re supporting the candidature of Raila for AUC chairmanship. He will help us to do mobilisation and brainstorming, but the real power is with us here,” Museveni explained.
Museveni warned that Raila’s chances of success in the upcoming elections will hinge on the level of support he receives from the government.
His comments are expected to spark discussions about whether the government’s backing for Raila has diminished.
“Those in power (senators, governors, MPs) can decide whether to move or not. For him, he can talk he’s like a preacher, like John the Baptist,” he added.
During the same event, President William Ruto expressed optimism that Raila will secure the position in the upcoming elections scheduled for February 2025.
Ruto mentioned that before Kenya decided to back Raila, they consulted with the Ugandan leader, who assisted them in reaching an agreement with other East African leaders to support him.
“Raila is not a candidate for Kenya, he is a candidate for East Africa. Before we rolled out his candidature, we went to Mzee Museveni and spoke to all East African heads of state and confirmed we have the right candidate with the right credentials to champion the unity, progress, and success of Africa,” Ruto stated.
“So far, we’ve seen enormous support for his candidature. We’re confident that his credentials traverse many areas.His proven track record as a pan-African is going to be of immense value to our region in matters of ensuring our region is peaceful, managing conflicts in our continent, and building investments into the market of 1.4 billion people,” he added
The election for the AUC chairperson will occur during the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa in February.
The Assembly will elect the Chairperson for a four-year term, which can be renewed once.
The election process will involve a secret ballot among member states, following the AU’s principles of regional rotation and merit-based selection.
