It is now official that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has thrown his hat in the ring for the influential position of chairperson of the African Union Commission.
Baba, as he is known by both his supporters and foes, made the declaration on Thursday, February 15, accompanied by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The position will become vacant next year, with the incumbent Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad concluding his two-term tenure. The chairperson serves as the chief executive officer and legal representative of the AU, overseeing administrative and financial matters, promoting the objectives and engaging with stakeholders.
Under the 2018 reforms, the AU Commission chairpersons, their deputies and six commissioners are to be elected in a rotational format, which means East Africa will be the next to produce the chairperson.
While declaring his interest for the seat, Raila asserted his readiness to contest for the influential role, pointing out his extensive consultations with critical allies across the region before making the all-important decision.
"If the leadership of Africa desires my services, I am prepared and offer myself to serve this continent. I am ready to pursue the chairmanship of the African Union," he said.
Since making this declaration, the ODM leader has received an overwhelming and unreserved support from across the political divide, a sign that his bid enjoys unadulterated goodwill from the entire country.
Various leaders have unequivocally and firmly voiced their support for his candidature, a phenomenon rarely witnessed especially after the polarisation that followed after the 2022 general election. Even in Parliament where we often differ, I have seen an unprecedented unity over this matter.
Be it as it may, the greatest support for Raila’s bid has since come from President William Ruto himself. The President has made it clear, both formally and informally, that Kenya has endorsed the Azimio leader's candidature and will seek support from across the region to ensure the bid is a success.
Ruto's endorsement is critical because for one to vie for the chairmanship position, he or she must be endorsed by a member state of the AU. It, therefore, means that candidates don’t vie for the seat independently.
The endorsement immediately set the ball rolling with Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi tasked with the onerous responsibility of leading shuttle diplomacy to persuade member states to support Kenya’s candidate. Since decisions at the AU are by consensus or, where consensus is not possible, by a two-thirds majority vote by member states, Kenya will need to convince members to vote in her favour.
As the state activates the machinery for shuttle diplomacy, Kenyans must fully be behind Raila’s bid and offer him the moral support he direly needs. The journey is going to be long and tedious. The road to Addis Ababa is rough and rugged. It is not a walk in the park as many think it is. We can still encounter crocodiles along the way.
The reason why we should all support the bid is because the bid is now not about the ODM leader as an individual, but Kenya as a country. By producing the next chairperson, Kenya will get an opportunity to shine on the international stage and offer leadership to the community of nations. We will also play a key role in directing various issues affecting the continent.
Furthermore, by demonstrating unity and resolute fidelity to the Raila's quest, we will show the world that as a people we can put the country's interest above others. In doing this we should be guided by then-Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti’s immortal quote that "there comes a time when the nation is more important than an individual". This quote has never been so relevant than now.
As we begin the long journey to Addis, our confidence lies in our unity and the fact that we have a formidable candidate. I couldn’t think of any other person more qualified for the job than Raila. He literally ticks all the boxes and has excellent leadership credentials, a mandatory requirement for the job.
As the continent struggles with innumerable challenges such as coups, unending civil wars, hunger, diseases, climate change and many more; the AU needs a leader with foresight. The leader must be the one who is tried and tested and baked in the hottest furnaces of visionary leadership.
Therefore, at this critical juncture, the organisation needs a leader who is fully conversant with the challenges bedevilling the continent. It also needs a leader who is unreservedly dedicated to forging meaningful cooperation among member states. That person is Raila.
Ugenya MP and MDG party leader
