By Nuri Aden
As the clock ticks on the February race for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC), President William Ruto of Kenya has the air of a man on a mission.
For months now, Ruto has been engaging with stakeholders across the continent to pitch former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga as a perfect fit for a role that requires the incumbent to deliver on what the bloc terms "a transformative agenda" that would lead to "#TheAfricaWeWant".
President Ruto's shuttle diplomacy, which started soon after the formal launch of Odinga's candidacy last August in the presence of several heads of state of the East African Community (EAC), has gained momentum over the past few weeks.
Kenya's stake in the three-pronged leadership contest – Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Madagascar's Richard J. Randriamandrato are the other contenders – goes beyond Odinga running for the AUC's top post.
Ruto's campaign for the civil servant-turned-politician extends to positioning Kenya as a leader in continental integration and development.
The diplomatic overdrive has been marked by a series of high-level engagements that underscore Kenya's broader strategic objectives for political and economic influence on the continent.
With competition fierce for the coveted AUC top seat, Ruto's charm offensive has taken him to multiple African capitals, garnering support for Odinga's candidacy while helping craft a narrative of unity, regional solidarity, and a shared vision for a prosperous Africa.
“That position is not his, it is for the whole continent and it is ours as a country. As you pray for Kenya, remember our leader, elder Raila Odinga in the prayers to be the leader of our continent as we look for the AU chairperson,’’ Ruto said during a church service in Nairobi last Sunday.
Diplomatic milestones
The guest list for the August 27, 2024, launch of Odinga's AUC campaign at Nairobi's State House reinforced Kenya's standing as a regional torchbearer.
Among the dignitaries at the event were President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.
Their participation sent out a significant message of solidarity with Odinga's bid while helping align Kenya's political interests with the broader East African vision of integration and cooperation.
During a recent visit to Kenya, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni stressed his support for Raila Odinga and pointed out that the task of developing the continent mainly lies with the African governments.
We are supporting the candidature of Raila for the chairmanship of the African Union. He will help us do some mobilisation and brainstorming, but the real power is with us here. We are in charge of these states. We are the ones who can say we move and we move. For him, he can talk but the people with power are the ones in charge of these governments.
This regional backing was further bolstered by high-profile engagements with leaders beyond East Africa as Ruto took his diplomatic campaign to the global stage.
In September 2024, just about a month after the launch of Odinga's candidacy, Ruto embarked on what would be a whirlwind journey through the continent and beyond.
During his time in New York, he engaged with several influential African leaders, including President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo, both of whom expressed their support for Odinga bid to become AUC's next chairperson.
Ruto's diplomacy continued with President Assimi Goïta of Mali, who joined the growing list of African leaders throwing their weight behind Odinga's candidacy. In Malabo, Ruto met Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue of Equatorial Guinea and received a commitment of support for Odinga.
President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, too, reaffirmed his country's backing of Odinga's candidacy when he and Ruto met in Beijing.
In Ethiopia's Addis Ababa, the Kenyan President met his Sierra Leone counterpart Julius Maada Bio.
President John Mahama of Ghana, a long-time ally, emerged as another strong advocate for Kenya's campaign during his visit to Nairobi on December 29 last year.
Ruto subsequently attended Mahama's inauguration in Accra, Ghana, where he once again had the opportunity to engage directly with regional leaders.
The list included President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo and João Lourenço of Angola, both of whom threw their weight behind Kenya's continental campaign.
Furthering a vision
Beyond the formal meetings, the ongoing diplomatic push reflects the pursuit of a broader vision of Kenya's role in shaping Africa's future.
Central to this vision is the idea of a unified Africa that embraces intra-African trade, regular cooperation, and seamless economic integration.
“My agenda emphasises Economic Transformation; Increasing intra-African Trade; Infrastructure Development; Financial independence for the African Union, Gender Equity and Equality; Agricultural transformation; Climate Action; Harnessing Youth Potential; Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence; Continental Integration, and Peace and Security across the continent,” Odinga said in a recent post on his Facebook account.
In championing Odinga's bid for the AUC chair's post, Kenya has added to the expanding galaxy of leaders standing beside it, including Mauritius' Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and President Duma Boko of Botswana.
Algeria's endorsement, secured during the G7 meeting in Italy's Apulia, was noteworthy, reflecting Kenya's strong diplomatic relations with North Africa.
Hiccups along the way
Not all meetings have resulted in immediate declarations of endorsement.
While the outcome of Ruto's diplomatic engagements has been impressive overall, his meetings with President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno of Chad, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in Beijing ended without explicit declarations of support.
Yet, even in these instances, discussions about broader African cooperation continued to unfold, with all sides emphasising the importance of working together to advance regional economic integration through platforms such as the AfCFTA.
Such a long journey
As Odinga's bid for the AUC Chairperson position continues gaining traction, Kenya's diplomatic clout is also growing.
The relationships that President Ruto has built could shape not only the outcome of Odinga's candidacy but also Kenya's position as a key player within the African Union and continental geopolitics.
Ruto's efforts suggest Kenya's current and future leadership will be instrumental in building bridges between the nations of the sprawling and diverse geography that is Africa.
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