Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship, Raila Odinga, has intensified his campaign efforts, meeting three heads of state over the past five days.
The former Prime Minister has been traversing North Africa ahead of the February elections.
On Tuesday, Raila was in Chad, the home country of incumbent AUC chairman Moussa Faki. Earlier, he had visited Eritrea and Morocco.
Last Friday, Raila met Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in Asmara, where he rallied support for his bid for the top continental post.
“The PM emphasised the need to strengthen the bonds of Pan-Africanism through the AU and the importance of Africans meeting the urgency of the moment by expanding the ladders of opportunity for African youth,” Raila’s secretariat noted in a statement.
The statement also highlighted Raila’s commitment to presenting a united African front in climate negotiations to safeguard the interests of countries most affected by climate-related disasters.
On Friday, Raila will participate in the high-stakes Mjadala Afrika Leadership Debate, scheduled from 7 PM to 9 PM. The debate will see him face key rivals Anil Gayan (Mauritius), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti), and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar).
The Mjadala Afrika forum allows candidates to articulate their vision for Africa’s transformation, providing citizens and stakeholders an opportunity to engage them directly.
The debate, hosted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will be broadcast in the AU’s six official languages – English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swahili.
“The moderators will pose questions to the candidates in French and English,” stated an AU communication.
Raila’s campaign team has lined up a series of activities in the coming weeks, with plans for him to visit multiple countries, including Djibouti – the home country of his perceived main challenger, Youssouf.
Kenya is strategically working to secure broad support amid stiff competition from Djibouti’s candidate.
Raila has also dedicated January to an extensive tour of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), comprising 16 member states, including Angola, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
