Raila Odinga to Officially Unveil His Candidacy for AUC Chairmanship in Ethiopia

Raila Odinga

Raila Odinga, known as Baba, is scheduled to publicly announce his candidacy for the African Union Commission (AUC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Raila Odinga’s campaign secretariat will hold a number of events in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday, November 8, 2024, to officially introduce him as the Republic of Kenya’s candidate for chairperson of the African Union Commission, according to a statement from Raila’s secretariat.

The Addis meeting is a continuation of the August 27, 2024, official endorsement of Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga’s candidacy in Nairobi, and aims to give the candidate an opportunity to interact with key stakeholders, groups, and allies of the AU. The candidate plans to present his Pan-African vision and address priorities aligned with AU Agenda 2063 at the forum.

Raila will give a keynote speech on Friday, November 8, 2024, evening at the AU Multipurpose Hall in Addis Ababa.
President William Ruto appointed Foreign Affairs PS Kipkorir Sing’Oei and former Kenyan ambassador to the US Elkanah Odembo as heads of the secretariat during his announcement as Kenya’s candidate for the AUC chairmanship.

Raila will compete against Djibouti Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf, who is considered his primary rival in the February 2025 election. Anil Gayan from Mauritius and Richard Randriamandrato from Madagascar are also running as candidates.
While on his US tour on September 27, 2024, Ruto ramped up his efforts to promote Raila during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).