East Africa will sponsor one candidate for the position of the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship, Kenya's President William Ruto has said.
Speaking during the preliminary opening of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Tuesday, Ruto said it was a joint decision of the East African presidents.
"In the spirit of the East African Community, we have consulted as heads of state from the East African Community, and we have agreed to sponsor one candidate as East Africans.
"That is the strength of our community; that we can do things together, and we can consult amongst one another," Ruto said.
Kenya fronts ex-prime minister
The East African Community, headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania, has eight member states. They are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.
Kenya has proposed its former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the position of the African Union Commission chairperson.
Odinga says he has already received support from Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, South Sudan's Salva Kiir, Kenya's William Ruto, DRC's Felix Tshisekedi, South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, and Tanzania's Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The Kenyan opposition leader further said that he was considering talks with Rwanda's President Paul Kagame in efforts to attract more support.
Elections scheduled for early 2025
Besides Ruto, none of the mentioned presidents has publicly spoken about Odinga's candidature.
Somalia's former Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam has also declared interest in the AUC chairmanship.
The term of the incumbent chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat will come to an end in early 2025, and after having served the maximum two four-year terms, the Chadian will be ineligible for re-election.
For a candidate to win the AU Commission chairmanship, at least two-thirds of the member states (36) must vote for him or her in the general assembly elections.
The AU Commission chairmanship elections are scheduled for early 2025.
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