By Brian Okoth
Kenya says former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is firmly in the race to succeed Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad as the African Union Commission chairperson amid rumours that Odinga was contemplating quitting the contest.
Reports, whose sources were not immediately clear, emerged on Monday suggesting that Odinga, 80, would throw in the towel amid a "predicted shortfall" of votes to make him win in February.
Odinga is facing off against two other candidates, with Djibouti's Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, 59, said to be his main challenger.
The other candidate in the race is Madagascar's former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard James Randriamandrato.
'Will not bolt out'
A senior Kenyan government official, who requested anonymity, told TRT Afrika that it is "not true" that Odinga was considering opting out of the AU Commission chairmanship race.
"He (Odinga) will not bolt out (of the race). He is winning," the senior official, who is a member of President William Ruto's executive, said confidently on text on Monday.
Other sources within government also quashed reports that Odinga was contemplating withdrawal from the AU Commission chairmanship contest.
Meanwhile, the former prime minister of Kenya, who served from 2008 to 2013, paid a visit to Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare on Monday to seek support for his AU bid.
'Only Africans will develop Africa'
"It has been a pleasure sharing with the president (Mnangagwa) my vision for Africa and discussing my candidature for the AUC chairmanship," Odinga said on X network on Monday.
Addressing journalists after meeting President Mnangagwa, Odinga said he would visit other countries in the Southern African region to seek support for his AU Commission chairperson bid.
"The president of Zimbabwe is the current chairperson of (Southern African regional bloc) SADC. So, it was important (for me) to come to Harare," Odinga said.
"We have shared experiences with my brother, President Mnangagwa. We know where we are coming from, and we know where we want to go. Africa has a bright future, but Africa will only be developed by Africans themselves. Foreigners only come to Africa to make money, they don't come to develop Africa. We must have a clear roadmap and blueprint on how to develop Africa," Odinga said.
Elected by heads of state
The AU Commission chairperson is elected by African heads of state through secret ballot for a four-year term, renewable once.
Chad's former prime minister and the current chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, 64, has exhausted his tenure.
AU Commission chairmanship winner must get at least two-thirds, which is a minimum of 36 out of over 50 votes.
The commission is AU's secretariat, which undertakes day-to-day activities of the continental body.
Main functions of AUC chairperson
The AU Commission comprises the chairperson, deputy chairperson and eight commissioners.
The chairperson is the commission's CEO, and serves as its legal representative and accounting officer.
He is also responsible to AU's Executive Council, which comprises all foreign ministers of AU member nations.
The chairperson chairs all meetings of the commission, promotes AU's cooperation with other international blocs, keeps records of AU Assembly and Executive Council's deliberations, submits reports to the assembly and the council, submits staff rules and regulations for approval, and prepares AU's budget and audited accounts.
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
