KISOZI – President William Ruto on Monday intensified the lobbying for NASA leader and his 2022 presidential election rival Raila Odinga’s African Union Commission chairmanship with a joint visit to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
Ruto and Raila held talks with Museveni at his Kisozi country home in Uganda, where they were photographed hearding cattle. A statement by Ruto said the trio discussed, among other issues, Raila’s bid.
“Had the pleasure of meeting President Yoweri Museveni at his Kisozi country home in Uganda. We discussed critical issues that affect our two countries such as energy and petroleum. Also discussed was the declared candidacy of Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the Africa Union Commission chairmanship,” President Ruto said.
On his part, Museveni said: “I was happy to meet President Ruto and Rt. Hon. Odinga this afternoon at my farm in Kisozi. We discussed issues of mutual interest between our two countries and the East African Community. I welcome them”.
Raila said they discussed his candidacy for Chairperson of the African Union Commission. “I am very grateful to President Museveni for strongly endorsing my candidacy and to President Ruto for fully backing it,” he said.
After weeks of speculation, Raila declared his interest in the AU commission chairmanship on February 15, saying he was ready to serve the continent in the role.
“I am inclined to accept the challenge and I am ready and I offer myself to be of service,” Raila said after holding talks with retired Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo in Nairobi.
Obasanjo is reported to have brokered a deal between President Ruto and Raila in Mombasa following sustained anti-government protests by the opposition last year.
Part of deal, it now emerges, is the prestigious AU post, which will see Raila succeed Moussa Faki of Chad in 2025, if he gets the backing of the majority of the Africa head’s of state and government in the race.
Other potential candidates are yet to declare, although it is widely argued it should be Eastern African region’s turn to hold the post.
Following Raila’s public declaration, Prime CS and Minister for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mudavadi commenced the lobbying the following day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking at the end of the 44th session of the AU Executive Council of Foreign Affairs Ministers on February 16, Mudavadi said Kenya and its Eastern African neighbors have the first opportunity to produce the next chair of the African Union Commission.
He said Eastern Africa was next in line for the AU leadership under the AU’s election rules adopted as part of the AU institutional reforms.
“The Central, Southern and Western Africa regions have had their share since 2002, so it is now time for the Eastern and Northern Africa regions. Under the rotational rules, Eastern Africa has the first opportunity when the term of the current chair expires end of this year,” Mudavadi said.
He further noted that the AU election rules introduced in 2018 seek to promote principles of regional rotation, inter-regional rotation, gender and merit in the election of the AU chair and commissioners. The rotational process is alphabetical, thus, ranking Eastern Africa ahead of Northern Africa.
At the state funeral of Namibian President Hage Geingob, Raila was spotted having chats with various leaders on the continent, among them South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and DRC’s Felix Tshisekedi. He was accompanied to the trip by members of the team that is set to lead his lobbying for the post among them Prof Makau Mutua, for IGAD executive secretary Amb Mahboub Maalim and former Ambassador to US and France Elkanah Odembo.
Ruto further said that following Monday’s meeting, Kenya and Uganda are committed to the deepening of the long-established diplomatic and economic ties between each other. He said they are focused on bringing all the seven East African Community nations closer to their ultimate goal of forming the East African Federation.
Raila’s bid is expected to get the backing of Ethiopia Prime Minister, who is et to visit Kenya on Wednesday for a state visit.
