Nairobi — Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu, Uganda's Yoweri Museveni and South Sudan's Salva Kiir are among the leaders attending the official unveiling of campaigns for Kenya's African Union Commission (AUC) Chairmanship at State House Nairobi.
Other leaders present in the event include Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca of Burundi representing Évariste Ndayishimiye. Rwanda's Paul Kagame also sent a representative.
Also gracing the event are retired Presidents Jakaya Kikwete (Tanzania), Oluṣẹgun Ọbasanjọ of Nigeria and members of the diplomatic corp.
Tuesday's camapign launch followed Kenya's submission of Raila Odinga as its candidate for the AUC pst on July 29 ahead of elections slated for February 2025.
Kenya has since received endorsement from a number of countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana, Zimbabwe and lately Algeria.
The endorsement from Algeria came after President William Ruto held discussions with Algerian President Tebboune Amadjid during the G7 meeting in Apulia, Italy.
"I have held a discussion with President Tebboune Amadjid, Algeria, on the sidelines of G7 meeting in Apulia, Italy, who has pledged support for Kenya's Africa Union Commission chairmanship bid," President Ruto said on June 14.
Odinga is competing against a number of candidates from the Eastern Africa bloc including jibouti's Foreign Affairs minister Mahmoud Youssouf, Anil Gayan from Mauritius and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) for the continental post.
The AU will apply the principle of inter-regional rotation in the election slated for February 2025, giving a chance to fourteen States in the Eastern bloc to produce the Commission Chairperson.
The Northern bloc will produce a Deputy Chairperson while Central, Southern, and Western regions submit at least two candidates (one female and one male) for the six Commissioner portfolios.
AUC comprises a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson, and six Commissioners.AU adopted the structure in 2021 following institutional reforms in November 2018.
