- Raila Odinga, Kenya's candidate for the continental job, will be beginning a five-month marathon of campaigns.
- Raila has already been endorsed by the East African Community heads of state.
Image: PCS
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to leverage a key forum in China for the African Heads of State to pitch for his candidacy for the African Union Commission Chairperson.
Raila is accompanying President William Ruto to Beijing, China, for the night forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held from Wednesday to Friday.
The forum, which will be attended by several African Presidents, will provide an opportunity for Raila to argue his case before the heads of state.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei and former Kenyan Ambassador to America Elkana Odembo, who are leading Raila’s campaigns, have insisted that the government will pull all stops to ensure Raila succeeds.
Sing’oei said Raila will have the opportunity as Kenya’s candidate to highlight his vision for the African continent to the African heads of state meeting in Beijing for the three-day China Africa summit.
“Candidate Odinga will be in Beijing. China is an important infrastructure partner of Africa. Odinga will meet various leaders to share his infrastructure focus for Africa within the context of the Belt and Road initiative, a major plank of the forum for China-Africa cooperation," Sing’oei said.
Raila’s campaign secretariat, which is headed by Sing’oei and Odembo, is working on a multi-faceted strategy to propel Raila’s candidacy.
The strategy includes availing Odinga for sideline meetings with heads of state during key world forums.
The forum in Beijing is seen as a key forum that will give Raila a chance to hold bilateral engagements with the African presidents as he seeks their support ahead of the 2025 continental poll.
Raila is expected to hit the ground running in the coming days with a whirlwind of trips across African capitals to engage with presidents and seek their support for the top continental job.
The marathon campaigns will see Raila traverse the continent for the next five months ahead of the elections in February next year.
While President Ruto is bidding for Raila at his level with his colleagues, Raila’s campaign strategists believe that availing the candidate for one-on-one discussions with the presidents will be strategic.
“Of course, President Ruto is doing his bit talking to his colleagues and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who is also the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary, is equally doing his bit. It is, however, very fundamental for the candidate himself to also reach out and market his agenda by reaching out to as many presidents as possible," Odembo said.
Raila is facing Djibouti Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf, whom analysts argue has proven to be a formidable candidate.
Anil Gayan (Mauritius) and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) are also gunning for seats.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has already unanimously adopted a resolution to support the candidacy of Youssouf.
"Hon Raila is a giant on the continental stage. But I think it would be a great mistake to underestimate Djibouti's candidate. I think he is a formidable candidate," lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi warned against underestimating Youssouf.
On Tuesday, August 26, Ruto hosted East Africa Community heads of state and other top officials from the region to launch the Azimio leaders' bid.
The launch was attended by Presidents Yoweri Museveni (Uganda), Samia Suluhu (Tanzania) and Silva Kiir (South Sudan) at State House, Nairobi.
Burundi Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca represented President Évariste Ndayishimiye, while Rwanda President Paul Kagame was represented by his Foreign Affairs Minister James Kabarebe.
Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo (Nigeria) and Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania) were also present.
Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was also to attend but sent last-minute apologies.
The AU Commission chairperson is a big post that elevates the holder to a near head of state.