- Musalia Mudavadi has said Raila's bid is of national interest and should be supported by all.
- President Ruto is expected to contact individual Heads of State and Governments ‘’to solicit support.''
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Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga will formally submit an African Union Commission job bid on April 15 ahead of elections next year.
This is as it emerged that President William Ruto’s administration is putting together a fully-fledged campaign secretariat and a comprehensive budget to support Raila’s campaigns.
The development comes a week after the African Union Executive Council unanimously endorsed a decision to allow only the East African Community to nominate the next AUC chairperson.
The ratification was Raila’s major victory in his bid to contest the position in the February 2025 elections by the African Heads of State and Government.
Raila’s continental campaigns are expected to be spearheaded by President Ruto himself assisted by Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and PS Korir Sing’oei.
They will work closely with Raila’s AUC campaign secretariat which includes his top diplomats and strategists led by former Kenyan ambassador to the United States Elkanah Odembo.
Odembo told a local publication on Sunday that a ‘’fully-fledged secretariat is being established and a comprehensive budget developed.’’
The diplomat did not immediately reveal the budget for the campaigns saying; “secretariat and budget are subjects of meetings scheduled for this week.’’
“Our overall goal is to win the elections in February 2023, by securing in the first round, the two-thirds of the member State eligible to vote,’’ Odembo was quoted as saying.
Odembo confirmed that the official submission of Raila’s candidacy to the Office of the Legal Counsel of the AU will be made by April 15.
The former envoy revealed what he explained as a three-pronged campaign approach that has been developed including a short-term period of campaigns lasting between four and six weeks.
Odembo said the strategy aims to ‘’solicit the support of all the 16 Heads of State and Government in the Eastern Africa region.’’
“The goal of the medium-term period of between July and August 2024 is to secure the support and endorsement of the majority of the Southern, Western, Northern and Central Africa regions,’’ he said.
The other strategy will then involve President Ruto contacting individual Heads of State and Governments ‘’to solicit support for Kenya and the candidate visiting each Heads of State and Government to secure their blessings.’’
Mudavadi this week warned leaders against undermining Raila's bid for African Union Commission chairmanship.
Speaking during a thanksgiving and prayer service at Dominion Chapel Kimuka in Kajiado County on Sunday, March 24, 2023, Mudavadi said Raila's bid is of national interest and should be supported by all.
"Please let us take this issue of the African Union Commission chairmanship more seriously than we are taking it. It is in our national interest. That is my plea to you and I hope what I have said will resonate with all reasonable men and women of this country so that we can focus and get our act together. Be careful (about Raila’s AUC chairmanship bid) because what you say may undermine our national interest," Mudavadi said.