President Paul Kagame has announced his endorsement of Kenyan politician Raila Odinga for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission, a position currently held by Chadian politician Moussa Faki Mahamat. The elections for the new AU Commission chairperson are set for February 2025.
Odinga, the 78-year-old leader of Kenya’s opposition coalition Azimio, declared his candidacy for the AU top job in February. Kagame, in a recent interview with Kenyan broadcaster NTV, expressed his respect for Odinga and praised his performance as the AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development from 2018 to 2023.
“I know his struggles,” Kagame said. “He did a good job in that role, [and had] full grasp of it. We will give him our support and wish him well.”
Odinga, a mechanical engineer by training, has already secured the support of Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu, South Sudan’s Salva Kiir, Kenya’s William Ruto, and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni.
The AU Commission is the AU’s secretariat responsible for the day-to-day activities of the Union. The chairman of the AU Commission is elected by the general assembly for a four-year term that can be renewed once. Mahamat, the current head, is serving his second term after being first elected in 2017.
Under the rotational rules established in 2018, the Eastern Africa region is next in line to produce the AU Commission Chairperson. However, the election rules allow for multiple candidates from the region. Somalia’s former foreign minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam has also announced her candidacy for the AU Commission Chairmanship.
Odinga, a prominent figure in Kenyan politics since the 1970s, served as Kenya’s prime minister from 2008 to 2013. Despite losing his fifth bid for the presidency in 2022 to William Ruto, Odinga remains a key player in African politics.
As the race for the AU Commission chairmanship heats up, Odinga and Adam are currently the only candidates vying for the position. With Kagame’s endorsement and a strong support base, Odinga’s bid for the top job at the AU Commission is gaining momentum.
