Kenya to Submit Raila Odinga’s AUC Candidature by June 30th, Officials say
GOOBJOOG NEWS | NAIROBI: Kenya has said it will submit the African Union Commission (AUC) candidature for its former Prime Minister Raila Odinga by June 30th.
Speaking in Nairobi Wednesday, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the East African nation is firming up preparatory and application documents together with requisite translations of the resume into six AU languages (French, English, Kiswahili, Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish) for submission to the AU Secretariat by the end of the month.
“Overall, the campaigns are led by the State with highly experienced and knowledgeable officers. The State Department for Foreign Affairs has established a campaign Secretariat which includes the candidate’s strategy team,” Mr Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi further stated that an empirical campaign strategy has been developed which includes identifying opportunities, challenges, and risks that Kenya’s candidature faces adding that the campaign involves outreach programmes to Capitals of AU member states, briefing of Kenya Missions abroad, and engagements with Diplomatic Corps in Nairobi.
“Kenya is certain that our candidate, Rt Hon Raila Odinga, has the credentials and the passion to advocate for Africa’s interests globally, and champion for more opportunities for Africa and her people.
On his part, Raila Odinga said he was vying for a position in Africa, not in the government or the Republic of Kenya.
“ I need the endorsement of the government of Kenya for that Africa position. At this meeting, we exchanged notes on the state of the quest so far, the preparations from my side and the government’s side and the next steps,” Mr Mudavadi said.
Mr Odinga, who accompanied Mr Mudavadi to a joint press conference said he was seeking the position as a Kenyan, and that nobody had asked him to contest.
“The Kenyan government did not ask me. I made the decision to serve the continent and as you know you cannot run for this position without being sponsored by your country,” Mr Odinga said.
“Your candidature is not valid until your country says yes. I was pleasantly surprised when the Kenyan government said they would support me. I expected them to say no, I don’t know why they said yes, that’s their own decision, not mine,” he added.
Mr Mudavadi said the Government backed Mr Odinga because “he is competent, and we are looking at Kenya and Africa’s interest.”
The Kenyan opposition leader previously served as AU’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development.