How President Uhuru Kenyatta Managed to Get Raila Odinga AU Appointment

President Uhuru Kenyatta played a key role to facilitate Opposition leader Raila Odinga African Union appointment.

Those in the know maintain that the agreement was reached six months ago.

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma stated that an agreement on the appointment was made in April when the chairman of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, visited President Kenyatta.

D r Juma stated, “Appointment of Raila by Mahamat and the President’s endorsement was made in pursuit of Africa’s integration agenda."

Reports claim that AU had long contemplated delegating the job to Raila before the meeting between Mahamat and President Kenyatta. 

Erastus Mwencha, who retired last year from the AU Commission as deputy chairman, stated high-level posts such as Raila’s were normally agreed upon by the different Presidents before the home country’s endorsement is requested.

“Usually it is the AU leadership that settles on the suitable candidate before their president’s opinion is sought. This must be how it worked in this case,” he stated.

“The leaders would settle on the person who fits the bill before engaging the candidate to accept the offer,” he added.

Raila will commence the continental push for the advancement of infrastructure through the raising of funds with a focus on projects with the regional influence such as the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor. 

In a statement, the executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Mahboub Maalim, welcomed Raila’s appointment noting that the role of infrastructure development was crucial as it was a key driver to advance and sustained economic development.