Wilfred Muliro, a specialist in foreign policy and security, asserts that Raila Odinga is the leading candidate in the race for the African Union Commission Chair.
According to Muliro, Raila’s strong position is due to two main factors. Firstly, his extensive political experience has made him a well-known figure even before his formal bid, having been frequently sought by the African Union for conflict mediation.
Muliro emphasizes that Raila is already recognized as a continental leader and does not need introductions, particularly among influential leaders and decision-makers in the AU.
He highlights that Raila’s familiarity extends to many key players, including leaders from the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Uganda, Rwanda, and Eritrea, who are already well-acquainted with him.
“But if you look at the other candidates, from Djibouti and the rest, they need to do a lot of self-introduction. They first need to do the introduction and then bring their credentials. But what Raila is now doing is just to affirm to the people that he can do the work.” said Muliro.
Second, Muliro takes on the country that backs Raila Odinga. He claims that the country nominating the ODM boss has a relative advantage over the other countries nominating candidates in terms of weight, financial contributions to the AU, and global prestige.
Kenya is ahead of its competitors, whether Madagascar or Djibouti. These two elements make Raila the candidate to beat in this campaign.
By Star