Kenya to leave no stone unturned in lobbying for AUC position

Kenya is leaving nothing to chance in the push to secure the position of African Union Commission (AUC) chairman.

Government sources say the focus now shifts to intense lobbying to meet the required threshold for a win come February.

As the candidature of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is officially unveiled today, Kenya is expected to vigorously lobby African Union (AU) member States for support.

Out of the 55 African countries, insiders say seven are ineligible to vote owing to issues ranging from governance to military coups. This means that 48 AU States are eligible and so far, Kenya has the support of about 25 of them.

“For a country to win, it requires at least two thirds of the votes, which is 32 countries or 66 per cent. Raila is the only Anglophone candidate in the race while the rest are either Arabic or from Francophone countries,” said insiders at the ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Other eight countries are considered as highly likely to vote for Kenya’s candidate and should all factors remain constant, the source said, it would mean the number of countries that support Raila would rise to 33.

Kenya has to put extra effort to win nine other countries considered ‘swing’ votes.

Six countries, among them Djibouti and Madagascar, are however unlikely to vote for Kenya because they either have presented their own candidates or are more inclined to the Arabic countries which have a candidate.

Insiders also noted that Raila is poised to have strong support from a majority of Southern and Horn of Africa countries.

As the campaigns progress, the government will be expected to outline all countries in support of Kenya’s push and those that will be newly convinced.

Other than unveiling Raila's candidature, the event today will see his website and campaign materials, including posters, fliers and branded clothes, launched.

At the same time, expectations are that there will be a merger of the campaign secretariat for government and Raila’s, which have been working independently.

President William Ruto has been lobbying for Raila’s candidature.

In April, Ruto said he secured Zimbabwe's support.

“I am assured that Kenya and Zimbabwe will persist in conferring and backing each other on multitude issues of bilateral, regional and continental significance alongside the African Union
Agenda 2063,” Ruto said while on a State visit to Zimbabwe.

He has also secured Ghana’s support, which was announced during the Kenya-Ghana joint media briefing in Accra a few months ago.

In a statement after holding talks with President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ruto said Kenya will in turn support Ghana’s candidature for the Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

Raila’s bid also received a boost after Algeria in June pledged to back him.

The President, who attended the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy said he secured Algeria’s support on the sideline meeting with Algeria President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

“I have held a discussion with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria, on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Apulia, Italy has pledged support for Kenya’s Africa Commission chairmanship bid,” stated Ruto.

Others who have declared Kenya's support are Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa).

The AUC chairperson elections will be held in February next year, with four candidates seeking to succeed the incumbent, Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, who has served two terms of four years each.

In March, the African Union Executive Council agreed that the Eastern Africa region submit candidates for the AU chairperson post.