The government through the State Department for Foreign Affairs has intensified campaigns for Raila Odinga’s African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship bid.
In a statement made on August 25, Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi emphasized that the campaign is progressing well.
Speaking at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, Mudavadi highlighted efforts to rally support from over 25 Foreign Affairs Ministers attending the conference.
“There are over 25 Ministers for Foreign Affairs representing their countries in this conference and we have spent a lot of time talking and persuading them as we target to harness more support and lobby aggressively for the Kenyan candidate.” said Mudavadi.
He emphasized the urgency of the campaign, as the election date draws near, highlighting the president’s efforts to rally support for Raila even before the official candidacy launch on August 27, 2024.
“Now we cannot afford to lose time as this election takes place in February 2025,” said the Foreign Affairs CS.
“Africa is huge and even before the official launch the President has been leading a lot of campaigns, approaching many of his colleagues in the continent, and now we must do the follow-up and jointly with the candidate consolidate ground,” he added.
Also Read: Raila Unveils His Campaign Team for AUC Chairmanship Race
Mudavadi Presents Kenya’s Bid to Foreign Ministers
Mudavadi revealed that during the conference, he met with ministers from Senegal, Liberia, Mauritania, and Egypt, where he presented Kenya’s case for consideration.
Additionally, in the statement the CS said that the government’s strategy would be to engage in coordinated efforts so as to ensure success in the upcoming elections.
He also mentioned that a campaign secretariat will be established to manage the campaign efforts through activities such as drafting all necessary briefs for the candidate, producing campaign materials and organizing public debates, that would be broadcasted live across Africa.
“Because largely these campaigns will call for foreign engagement, we will have to go full blast as soon as the official launch on Tuesday and naturally the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which I head will be very pivotal in undertaking this exercise,” said Mudavadi in Tokyo.
Kenyan Ambassador to Tokyo Gives His Remarks About Raila’s AUC Bid
Moreover, the newly appointed Kenyan ambassador to Tokyo, Moi Lemoshira, expressed confidence in Raila Odinga’s experience and ability to build consensus, stating that his credentials make him a strong candidate for the AUC chairmanship.
“We need to appreciate that we have a very strong candidate in Hon. Raila Odinga. He is an experienced leader who has served in various high-level positions in Kenya and Africa especially when he was the AU envoy for infrastructure, a very relevant position in the future of AUC leadership,” said Lemoshira.
Also Read: How Govt Blocked 31-Year-Old Kenyan Lawyer from Running for AUC Chairmanship
Ambassador Lemoshira also highlighted Raila’s track record and experience expressing his belief that Kenya was getting into the AUC race with a visionary projection.
“Raila’s credentials also position him as a big consensus builder. It is important to reflect on the past experiences of elections of such a position and we should have confidence in our candidate. It is my belief that a good number of the African Union member states will be able to rally support behind Raila Odinga,” he added.
The current chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, will complete his term in February 2025, paving the way for Odinga to compete against candidates from Djibouti, Mauritius, and Madagascar.
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