Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission (AUC) chair Raila Odinga has revealed his dream to reorganise Africa into a federation or union.

Raila made the comments when he addressed the fifth edition of the Festival of African Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in Kismu City on Monday, August 26, 2024.

“As you are aware, I am running to be chairman of the African Union Commission. My core agenda should I get elected to that position is to work with our leaders to be deliberate and intentional in reorganising Africa in some sort of federation or union to blunt the national divisions, assuage the economic hungers and unleash the continent’s potential,” Raila stated.

Additionally, the former Premier said that the current generation on the continent must conquer its fear if it has to advance in all aspects of life.

“Half a century ago, our grandparents fought to liberate us from foreign rule. Today, we must fight to liberate ourselves from our own fears.

“The fear that makes it so hard for Africa to trade with itself. The fear that makes it so hard for an African to visit another African country. The fear that makes it so hard to fly from Nairobi to Lagos. The fear that makes it impossible to travel across the continent by train,” he added.

Founding fathers’ dream

While acknowledging the roles played by some of Africa’s founding presidents, Raila stressed the need for unity across the continent.

“The idea of African unity is not new. It is as old as history. It was the core agenda of the continent’s fathers, like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Sekou Toure, Jomo Kenyatta, Oginga Odinga, Abdel Nasser, and, more recently, Nelson Mandela.

“Kwame Nkrumah wanted the 1965 Accra Summit of the OAU to establish a union government for the whole of independent Africa.

“It never happened. Mwalimu Nyerere was willing to delay Tanganyika’s independence in order to enable all three countries to achieve their independence together as a single federated state. It never happened,” he said.

The former Kenyan MP paid a glowing tribute to Tanzania’s founding president, Nyerere, who was among the early champions for African unity when he was president and in his retirement.

“I remember the words of Nyerere on the occasion of Ghana’s 40th independence anniversary celebrations on 6 March 1997. He said, ‘We are all Africans trying very hard to be Ghanaians or Tanzanians. Fortunately for Africa, we have not been completely successful. The outside world hardly recognizes our Ghanaianness or Tanzanianness. What the outside world recognizes about us is our Africanness’,” Raila stated.

The issue of migration, especially to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, is another issue Raila wants addressed.

“When our young people drown as they try to sneak into Spain or Italy, it does not matter whether they are from Malawi, Burundi, or Kenya. Europeans call them Africans. If we are Africans and are recognized as such, why not build on the brand?

“Why not spend time, resources, and energy on strengthening the African brand instead of fighting to dim it? Make no mistake. Africa may be poor and may have been colonized, but Africa is a very strong brand that can be made much stronger,” he argued.

Raila’s AUC bid will be officially kicked off by President William Ruto on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.