As campaigns for the African Union Commission chairmanship enter the homestretch, Kenya’s nominee Raila Odinga is upbeat about his suitability to succeed outgoing Moussa Faki of Chad.
Raila has been touring the continent to popularise his agenda, hinged on eight key priority areas: boosting economic transformation, intra-African trade, financial independence, gender equality, climate action, security, agricultural transformation, and regional integration.
To foster sustainable and equitable socio-economic growth, Raila has said he will champion policies that create jobs, reduce poverty, and improve lives.
He stated that he will champion visa policy harmonisation, and infrastructure development to facilitate seamless connectivity and movement of goods and peoples across Africa. He noted that overcoming these barriers will spur economic growth and position Africa as a global economic leader.
Raila said he would mobilise domestic resources to reduce reliance and over-dependence on external funding. That will also entail reforming the global financial architecture to ensure Africa’s equitable participation in global economic decisions.
Emphasising that African women and girls are the majority of victims of conflict and gender-based violence globally, he offered to prioritise opportunity, dignity, and security for women and girls across the continent.
With African people hit hardest by the effects of climate change, Raila plans to lead in creating policies for adaptation, mitigation, and building resilience among communities.
To achieve this objective, he intends to mobilise support for enhanced early warning systems and rapid responses to climate-induced shocks.
The former prime minister, who sees himself as a Pan-Africanist, also said he would oversee the silencing of guns in conflict-affected regions. For peace to prevail, he hopes to rally African leaders across the continent to address the root causes of instability.
He also intends to push for an Africa that is food-secure through the cultivation of more efficient, inclusive, and resilient agricultural practices.
Heading to the AUC chair polls in February, all eyes will be on Kenya after Mauritius, which had also fielded a candidate, said it would support Raila’s candidacy.
