President Kagame endorses Raila Odinga's bid for AU job
Rwandan President Paul Kagame (right) with Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga in Kigali on March 8, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Mr Odinga formally declared his interest in the AU Commission chairmanship last month.
- The Azimio la Umoja leader has since garnered the support of President William Ruto.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has endorsed Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the African Union Commission chairperson.
President Kagame has said he supports Mr Odinga's bid, adding that he hopes the Kenyan opposition leader clinches the seat.
The endorsement comes a few days after the Azimio la Umoja leader met with the Rwandan president in Kigali.
“It’s no secret. I told him Rwanda would support him. I wish him well,” President Kagame said.
“Not only will we support him to be there, but also when he is there, we will support him for Africa to succeed,” President Kagame added.
The Rwandan Head of State also lauded Mr Odinga for the good job he did during his tenure as AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development.
“He (Mr Odinga) did a good job at that. He had a full grasp of it,” President Kagame said.
Mr Odinga formally declared his interest for the position on February 15, 2024 in Nairobi and was instantly endorsed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The former Nigerian Head of State said it is the right time for a person from Eastern Africa to head the AU Commission and that he believed Mr Odinga was a viable candidate.
Mr Odinga has since garnered the support of President William Ruto whom he ran against in the 2022 presidential election.
Significantly, the two leaders have lately put aside their political differences with President Ruto rallying MPs from his ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance to support Mr Odinga's bid.
Last month, the two erstwhile bitter political rivals jointly held a surprise meeting with President Yoweri Museveni in Uganda.
According to insiders, the secret meeting at Museveni's Kisozi farm, saw the three leaders discussing Mr Odinga's bid for the AU job.
It is also understood that President Ruto and Mr Odinga have crafted a campaign team to rally regional nations to support the latter's bid for the job.
Mr Odinga is understood to be relying on his networks in the continental body, having served as AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa between 2018 and last year in February, when his term ended controversially.
The African Union Commission chairperson is the topmost official of the continental bloc, a role that is often confused with the African Union chairperson – an annual, ceremonial rotational post between heads of state and governments.
The AU Commission chairperson, a mandate renewable once, is similar to the role of a chief executive officer of the AU Secretariat. The holder of the office is elected every four years.
