Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has made a clarion call for African leaders to work together to ensure the continent is energy sufficient. Raila outlined his energy dream for Africa, which includes lighting up the continent and making it a low-carbon economy.
He spoke at the Africa Heads of States Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam.
Raila said it is embarrassing that some corners of the continent are not connected to the grid and households are still using kerosene lamps.
“I dream of an Africa where every home, every school and every hospital is powered by clean, renewable energy our continent so abundantly possesses,” he told the heads of states.
“As your AUC chairperson, I will pour my soul into making this dream a reality, investing in the infrastructure that will light up our future.”
“I have walked through villages where darkness falls with the sun, where children study by the flickering light of kerosene lamps. This is not the Africa I envision,” the former ODM leader said.
The Kenyan candidate vowed to ensure electricity supply to every corner of the continent if elected during the February 25 AUC elections.
“I will fight with every fibre of my being to bring reliable electricity to every corner of our continent, especially to those who have been left behind. Off-grid solutions, mini-grids powered by the sun and the wind – these are not just technologies – they are lifelines I will champion with all my might,” he said.
“Africa will not be a victim; we will be a leader in the global fight against this existential challenge. I will stand tall on the world stage, advocating for our continent’s right to a sustainable future,” he said.
“I will demand resources and support we need to transition to a low-carbon economy, not just for the sake of the planet, but for the sake of our children and their children.”
The former prime minister also used the Dar es Salaam summit to drum up support for his candidacy.
The summit was attended by 15 heads of states.
They include Tanzania’s Samia
Suluhu, King Letsie III of Lesotho,
President Ismail Guelleh (Djibouti),
Denis Nguesso(Congo-Brazzaville),
Azali Assoumani (Comoros), Andry
Rajoelina (Madagascar) and Hassan
Mohamud(Somalia).
Others are Julius Bio (Sierra Leone), Mohamed Ghazouani (Mauritania), Évariste Ndayishimiye
(Burundi), Umaro Embaló (Guinea-Bissau), Lazarus Chakwera(Malawi), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia)
and Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.
