Raila trains his guns Southwards in his AUC push
What you need to know:
- The January 27 heads of states meeting in Nairobi also has a potential influence on Mr Odinga's AUC bid
- On Monday, Mr Odinga held talks with Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has taken his African Union Commission chairmanship campaign to southern Africa.
This as President William Ruto is set to host a strategic heads of state retreat in Nairobi on January 27 ahead of the regional polls in February.
Even though President Ruto will host the retreat in his capacity as the champion of AU reforms, the meeting also serves as a platform with potential influence on Mr Odinga's AUC bid.
Mr Odinga’s AUC campaign secretariat disclosed that the former premier would this week pitch tent among the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) states before heading to North Africa next week.
On Monday, Mr Odinga held talks with Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare as he sought his vote in the crucial poll next month.
“We landed in Harare, Zimbabwe today (Monday) to a warm reception courtesy of H.E President Emmerson Mnangagwa. It's been a pleasure sharing with the president my vision for Africa and discussing my candidature for the AUC chairmanship,” Mr Odinga said.
President Ruto has also stepped up his bid for Mr Odinga, with plans to host a key heads of state retreat in Nairobi on January 27 in top gear, just a few weeks before the vote in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is taken.
State House had announced that DrRuto last week invited his Angola counterpart João Lourenço among the presidents to attend the retreat in Naiorbi later this month.
“President Ruto, who was given the mandate by fellow African heads of State to champion AU reforms, invited President Lourenço for a retreat in Kenya later this month ahead of the AU Heads of State Summit in February,” the statement read.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei, who is also the head of Mr Odinga’s campaign secretariat, confirmed that the retreat will take place on Monday January 27.
“The president chairs the AU reforms team…and so in preparation of his reports to be submitted during the summit next month he has invited a few Heads of State, about eight or so and the retreat will be on the 27th of January,” Dr Sing’oei told Nation.
Asked about what the meeting portends for Kenya’s candidacy, coming just a few weeks to the AUC chairperson elections, the PS said: “focus is on institutional reforms as the main agenda but you know, obviously I’m sure on the sidelines, the issue of Kenya’s candidacy will arise.”
He said Mr Odinga is expected to extend his campaigns to the SADC region this week before heading to North Africa next week as the vote chase enters the home stretch.
“SADC and North Africa are among a few countries that haven’t been reached and so the candidate will be in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho this week and then North Africa will follow,” Dr Sing’oei told Nation.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi had last Friday chaired a meeting to review the country’s progress in advancing Mr Odinga’s candidacy.
The PCS, who also doubles up as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, said they have developed a strategic roadmap for the final push ahead of the AUC elections in February 2025.
“I applauded the Secretariat and the State Department for Foreign Affairs for their collaborative efforts in building robust momentum toward securing Kenya’s leadership at the helm of the African Union Commission,” he said.
Mr Mudavadi also announced that they have since mapped out the critical next steps, focusing on broadening Kenya’s outreach and strengthening partnerships with AUC member states.
“With confidence and unity, we remain steadfast in delivering a transformative leader for Africa,” he said.
President Ruto is keen to ensure Mr Odinga bags the coveted AUC post as it holds both continental influence and has domestic political implications in his 2027 re-election plan.
For Dr Ruto, securing the seat would cement his stature as a regional leader and grant Kenya a direct influence over decisions affecting the continent.
At the same time, for Mr Odinga, it represents a chance to solidify his legacy and bolster his significance on the global stage.
The outcome could ultimately redefine the political dynamics in Kenya and across Africa.
Mr Odinga has however, insisted that his AUC bid has nothing to do with backing President Ruto’s administration, arguing that the Kenyan government backed his bid after he declared his interest for the seat.
Mr Odinga is facing Djibouti’s foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and former Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard James Randriamandrato with whom they participated in the Mjadala Afrika debate on December 13 last year.
“It is a three-horse race between Kenya, Djibouti and Madagascar. May be best horse win,” he said during a recent interview.
Mr Odinga noted that he will accept the outcome of the February 2025 election, adding that he is however, in the race to win and not to lose.
“If we win, very good for us. If we lose, so what! We are here in Kenya, there will be basically other things for us to do. So we are not worried about losing. Asiyekubali kushindwa siye mshindani (A true sportsman accepts defeat). But we are not competing to lose but to win,” he said.
On Saturday, Mr Odinga asked his Nyanza political bedrock to remain united irrespective of whether or not he succeeds in his bid to chair the African Union Commission.
"We must be united and become one as a people because that is what will strengthen you when I am away. We must continue consulting each other in every step that we take," said Mr Odinga.
The ODM boss said it was the presidents and opinion leaders from across the African continent who approached him contest for the AU seat, and that is why he heeded the call.
"Leaders from Africa felt the continent was headed in the wrong direction and therefore entrusted me with the mandate of steering back to its track," said Mr Odinga.
