In a show of solidarity with Raila Odinga, Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission chairmanship, President William Ruto, Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi, and at least 100 MPs and senior government officials will travel to Addis Ababa.
Other political leaders, including governors from various parties, will also be traveling for the vote, The Star has learned.
The closely contested election is set to take place during the AU Summit on February 15 and 16.
On Thursday, some political leaders will arrive in the capital of Ethiopia.
Ruto and Mudavadi’s presence indicates Raila’s pivotal position in Kenya’s politics and Ruto’s unyielding efforts to secure his election.
Should the ODM leader emerge victorious in the elections, it would represent a significant diplomatic and political triumph for President Ruto, as well as for Raila, of course.
Winning the triumph could solidify Ruto’s grip on power, draw in Raila’s political bases, and elevate his reputation.
However, if Raila were to lose the election, Ruto’s political experiment of capitalizing on Raila’s popularity and inheriting his support bases could result in a significant backlash.
Raila’s bases would probably not be able to make up for the loss of the Mt. Kenya voting bloc following the impeachment of DP Rigathi Gachagua.
At 80 years old, Raila could return to the local political scene to either run for president in 2027 or serve as an elder statesman endorsing a younger ODM politician. In either case, this would spell trouble for Ruto’s ambitions for a second term.
Raila will compete against Mahmoud Ali Youssouf from Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato from Madagascar.
Raila is seen as the leading candidate. A source at Raila’s Nairobi secretariat revealed that the Addis Ababa event has drawn significant interest from all sides of the political spectrum.
“Indeed, numerous MPs have been coming here asking for letters to assist them in processing travel documents,” the source informed the Star.
According to the source, around 100 legislators had visited Raila’s office on Capitol Hill by Thursday of the previous week.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced that National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah will serve as Raila’s chief agent in Addis during the Saturday vote, highlighting the bipartisan strategy the country has adopted for the AUC campaign.
“For a week, I served as President William Ruto’s chief agent and slept at The Bomas. Ichug’wah will have the same role for Raila,” he stated.
Even though only heads of states participate in the voting, the significant presence of MPs serves as a demonstration of national unity in support of Kenya’s candidate. To achieve victory, a two-thirds majority is required.
Gordon K’achola, a policy analyst at Foreign Affairs, informed the press that this solidarity showcases Kenya’s internal unity to the world.
“The appearance of Kenyan MPs from various political factions in Addis Ababa to demonstrate solidarity with Raila would bolster the concept of united action to tackle some of Africa’s challenges,” K’achola said.
The elections, which are highly awaited, are scheduled for next weekend during the 38th Summit of Heads of State and Government at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Prior to this event, six commissioners will be elected on February 12 and 13.
The delegation’s high status shows how much importance Nairobi places on the continental position.
Last week, Raila, the long-time opposition leader, expressed confidence in securing the African Union Commission chairmanship in a first-round vote.
While touring a shopping mall in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, Raila told reporters that he has completed his assignments in Kenya and is now well-prepared and “very” confident about winning.
