The office of former president Uhuru Kenyatta has explained he supports ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s quest to become African Union Commission (AUC) chairman, as it emerged the former head of state is tapping on old networks to campaign for him.
Mr Kenyatta’s spokesperson Kanze Dena-Mararo said although the retired president was unable to attend the ceremony last week at State House to formally announce Mr Odinga as Kenya’s candidate for the continental post, he is working for the former premier’s success.
“Uhuru is out of the country and that is why he did not attend the launch. He fully supports Raila's candidacy,” said Ms Mararo.
President William Ruto presided over the ceremony, while East African Community (EAC) chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also the president of South Sudan, led regional presidents in endorsing Mr Odinga for the top continental post.
Presidents Yoweri Kaguta Museveni (Uganda) and Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania) as well as Burundi Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca and Rwanda President Paul Kagame’s representative – Foreign Affairs Minister James Kabarebe all declared their country’s support for Mr Odinga.
Former Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete and his Nigeria counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo also turned up for the occasion.
Mr Kenyatta, who backed Mr Odinga for the presidency during the 2022 elections which his then deputy, Dr Ruto, won, did not attend.
His absence, coupled with the power struggle in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya, which he chairs its top decision-making organ – The Council, caused a lot of speculation.
At the event, President Ruto also named Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei and former Kenya ambassador to the United States Mr Elkanah Odembo as the heads of Mr Odinga’s campaign secretariat.
Mr Odembo told Nation that Mr Kenyatta has been supportive of Mr Odinga’s AUC campaigns and has been reaching out to some of his former colleagues to drum up support for Kenya’s candidate.
“The former president had a lot of connections with some of his ex-colleagues and is one of the key influencers were are working with to reach out to the Heads of State who will be participating in next year’s election which is just five months away now,” Mr Odembo said.
Mr Odinga is facing Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Youssouf, former Mauritius Foreign Minster Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, and his former Madagascar counterpart Richard James Randriamandrato.
The Executive Director of the Centre on International Cooperation Ambassador Martin Kimani argues that Kenya must invest considerable resources for Mr Odinga to secure the AUC post.
“Raila’s chances are good, he is a strong candidate, and he has the Kenyan government behind him. He is going to have to compete for the position. The Djiboutian foreign minister is probably his strongest opponent. Raila has an equally good chance of missing the spot because the Djiboutian foreign minister is coming with a lot of experience and strong endorsements from regional organizations,” Mr Kimani said.
In Kenya’s previous failed bid to capture the AUC chairmanship, it spent Sh437.7 million in the campaign that was led by then Deputy President Ruto, now the Head of State.
Data submitted to Parliament then showed that Sh437,776,982 was spent in the campaigns, exceeding the set confidential expenditure by Sh52,095,299.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earmarked Sh385,681,683 for expenditure linked to campaigns for the then Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed’s bid for the post in the year to June 2017.
"AUC campaign expenditure as captured in the initial working schedules, however, stood at Sh437,776,982 which differs from the certified amount by Sh52,095,299,” Mr Macharia Kamau, the then Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, told Parliament.
"This difference relates to the AUC campaigns conducted by the Deputy President and were initially charged under the AUC campaign funds, but were later transferred to State Visits expenditure," he added.
Ms Mohamed lost her bid to be the continent’s top diplomat to her Chad counterpart, Moussa Faki Mahamat, in the vote.
Mr Odembo disclosed that the budget for the current mission will be developed at the ministerial level.
“This is a national mission and resources will indeed be made available. We hope that the cabinet will approve a budget to enhance the campaigns,” he said.
He, however, noted that being a Kenyan affair, they also expect business and private sector and corporates to also chip in to aid the campaigns.
