Kenyan President William Ruto launched former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s bid for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission at the state house in Nairobi on 27 August 2024.
Other candidates vying to succeed current AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, whose term ends in February 2025, include Anil Gayan from Mauritius, Richard Randriamandrato from Madagascar, and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf from Djibouti.
The event boosted Odinga’s campaign, featuring four current heads of state—Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni—and two former presidents, Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo and Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, as well as Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe.
At 79, Raila has lost five presidential elections, including the 2022 contest against Ruto. He served as Kenya’s prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and has led the opposition in Kenya since 2013.
President Ruto urged other African countries to support his long-time rival Raila Odinga describing him as a “visionary Pan-African” who was a perfect candidate for the AU chairperson position.
To back Odinga’s candidacy, President Ruto announced a campaign secretariat led by Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei and former Ambassador to the US Elkanah Odembo.
In his speech, Odinga expressed his readiness to serve, promised to prioritize the continent’s interests, and outlined his vision to transform the African Union into a people-centered organization.
Pictures from the launch of Raila Odinga’s AU Commission Chair Bid
