Rally behind Raila for AU seat - Eala

Arusha. All the East African Community (EAC) partner states have been urged to rally behind Raila Odinga for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson seat.

The Kenyan opposition supremo has been endorsed by William Ruto's government as a candidate for the position at the continental body.

A Motion passed by the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala), currently holding a sitting in Nairobi, expressed full support for Raila's candidature.

Read: EAC leaders to back Kenya's Odinga for AU Commission top job

The Motion in support of Odinga's candidature was moved by the Kenyan member of the House Suleiman Shahbal and seconded by Dr Abdullah Makame, a lawmaker from Tanzania.

"In accordance with Articles 49 (2) (d), 123 and 130 of the EAC Treaty, the Assembly expresses support and endorses the candidature of Raila Odinga for the seat," the Motion said.

Mr Odinga, who last contested Kenyan presidency for the fifth time in 2022, will this time vie for the position of  AUC chairperson  for 2025-2029.

The seat will fall vacant after the expiry of a tenure of Moussa Faki Mahamat from Chad who won the seat in 2017 for a four year period, renewed in 2021.

The position falls vacant in February next year. This time around, the chairperson of the AUC will be from the eastern region of Africa that includes the EAC bloc.

Fronting of Mr Odinga for the seat by the Kenyan government appeared to have created a new matrix of the highly charged Kenyan political landscape.

President Ruto and Raila Odinga had been bitter rivals prior and after the hotly contested presidential elections in Kenya in 2022 during which Ruto won by a small margin.

In an unexpected twist, President Ruto is now urging fellow EAC leaders and heads of states of AU member states to support Raila's candidacy for the top seat.

Kenyan Eala MP Mr Shahbal said Mr Odinga has been fronted by Kenya in recognition of his outstanding role as a pan Africanist, statesman, champion of reform and architect of democracy.

"He is also an advocate for peace and peaceful resolution of disputes and has a deep knowledge and understanding of the socio-economic landscape of the continent", he said. 

In Kenya, Mr Odinga had served as a prime minister from 2008 to 2013 as well as a minister under the administration of President Mwai Kibaki from 2003 to 2005.

At the continental level, he was once (in 2018), he was the AU High Representative on Infrastructure Development and a Special Envoy in 2011. 

During his address to Eala sitting in Nairobi early this month, President Ruto said he was convinced the East African presidents will rally behind Raila for the African Union chairmanship.

"We have consulted as Heads of State and we have agreed to front one candidate. The decision was arrived at after intensive consultation", he told the House.

Ever since news of Raila's candidature became public, the opposition leader has toned down his verbal attacks on Ruto's Kenya Kwanza government.  

The same applied to the cabinet secretaries (ministers) and politicians aligned to Mr Ruto who have indicated they were ready to embrace the opposition.

Some political analysts believe the election of Raila as AUC chairman will be a relief to the Kenya Kwanza government in a country where political divisions occur largely along ethnic lines.

President Ruto and Mr Raila were bitter rivals during the 2022 presidential elections in Kenya which were won by Ruto by a small margin, amid claims of rigging.

Mr Ruto garnered 7.1 million votes or 50.5 percent against Raila's 6.9million or 48.8 percent of the votes cast. Mr Raila was contesting the presidency for the fifth time.