The government has submitted requisite documentation for Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.

In a statement on Monday, July 29, 2024, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singo’ei confirmed the submission of the document to the Dean of Eastern Region, Dharmraj Busgeeth, who is also the Ambassador of Mauritius.

“Under the authority of the Government of Kenya and as per the Statutes and Rules of the African Union Commission, we have today formally submitted requisite documentation of Kenya’s nominee for the Chairmanship of @_AfricanUnion, H.E. Raila Amolo Odinga, to the Dean of Eastern Region, H.E. Dharmraj Busgeeth, Ambassador of Mauritius,” Sing’oei stated.

The AUC chairperson is the chief executive officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer. The Chairperson of the Commission is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once.

The chairperson’s functions include overall responsibility for the Commission’s administration and finances; Promoting and popularising the AU’s objectives and enhancing its performance; consulting and coordinating with key stakeholders like member states and development partners, appointing and managing Commission staff and acting as a depository for all AU and OAU treaties and legal instruments.

AU has set August 6 as the deadline for the submission of the candidacy of the various hopefuls seeking to succeed Moussa Faki.

Raila is set to face three other candidates from the East African region seeking to succeed Faki.

Currently, Raila is facing competition from Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Somalia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam and Seychelles’ former Vice President Vincent Meriton.

The four candidates from the Eastern Africa region are seeking to succeed the current chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, who has held the position since 2017.

In March, the African Union Executive Council decided that the next AUC chairperson would come from the Eastern Africa region.

The decision also provides that the Northern Africa region will front candidates for the Deputy Chairperson while the other three regions, Central, Southern and Western, will compete for the six positions of commissioners.

The campaign to replace the current AUC chair Moussa Faki is set to begin once all interested candidates submit their applications officially.

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