President William Ruto has secured Ghana’s support for Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union chairmanship during his State visit to the country.
In a statement after holding talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ruto said Kenya will in turn support Ghana’s candidature for the Secretary General of the Commonwealth.
“Your Excellency, my Dear Brother, I thank you most sincerely for accepting to support Kenya’s candidature for the position of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (2025-2028),” Ruto said.
He spoke during the Kenya-Ghana Joint Media Briefing at Jubilee House, Accra.
“On our part, I have assured His Excellency that Kenya will support the Republic of Ghana for the candidature of Hon Shirley Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, for the position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth for the period 2024-2029,” he said.
Ruto said Kenya’s candidature is informed by the country’s leading role in enhancing and sustaining the Pan-African Agenda in terms of independence and sovereignty, peace and security, development and prosperity, and sustainability and climate action.
Raila is eyeing the seat to replace incumbent AU Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad for the elections scheduled for February 2025.
Should he clinch the seat, he will serve until 2028 for a four-year term.
Raila’s candidature received a boost after the African Union Executive Council unanimously resolved that candidates for the position of the next chairperson of the AU Commission would be nominated by the Eastern African regional States.
The resolution on March 15, 2024, was in accordance with the Statute of the AU Commission, the Rules of Procedure, the African Union policy organs and the decisions of the Assembly of Heads of States and Government.
“We hope to work with all as we try to achieve Agenda 2063,” Ruto said.
Agenda 2063 is Africa's development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development over a 50-year period.
Ruto said for this to be achieved, reforms are needed to give Africa a fit-for-purpose institution.
This includes the need to restructure the African Union organs and streamline the agenda of the Assembly to cover strategic issues.
“These reforms are key to ensuring that the African Union Commission lives up to its founding aspirations. I assured President Akufo Addo that I will work closely with Ghana to deliver on this mandate of reform that has been bestowed upon me by fellow African leaders at the last AU Summit,” Ruto said.
Raila has so far received backing from several heads of State including Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.