Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament, Peter Kaluma has extended his best wishes to Raila Odinga, Kenya’s candidate for the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairmanship, ahead of the elections scheduled for Saturday, February 15, 2025.
In a message shared on his official X account on Monday, February 10, 2025, Kaluma expressed confidence in Raila’s ability to lead the African continent.
“Best of luck Baba wa Africa. The decision now lies with our Heads of State. We know our leaders also know you have the right vision, passion, and love for the African continent,” Kaluma wrote.
Kaluma highlighted the strong support Raila has received from across the continent, particularly from African women who have started prayers and fasting for his successful bid. He expressed hope that divine intervention would secure victory for the veteran Kenyan leader.
“The women of Africa have started their prayers and fasting for Baba’s African Union Commission Chairperson bid. May our God deliver victory to Baba @RailaOdinga! God Bless Africa,” he wrote in another post.
Fierce AU polls
Raila Odinga is among the frontrunners for the esteemed position of AUC Chairperson, facing competition from Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato. The elections are scheduled for mid-February 2025.
The former Prime Minister has toured various African nations to present his vision for the continent to Heads of State and government leaders. Most of these leaders have rallied behind the Pan-Africanist and endorsed him for the much-contested role.
According to the African Union (AU), the selection process will unfold in two stages. The first phase will see the Executive Council elect and appoint Commissioners during its session on February 12-13, 2025. This will be followed by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which will elect and appoint both the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson during its meeting on February 15-16, 2025.
The AU has detailed the voting procedures via its official X account. Voting will continue until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority. Initially, all candidates will appear on the ballot, with up to three voting rounds conducted. If no candidate achieves the required majority after the third round, the candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated, and the next ballot will feature only the top two contenders.
If the contest narrows down to two candidates and neither secures the two-thirds majority after three voting rounds, the candidate with fewer votes will be disqualified. The remaining candidate will proceed to another round of voting. Should this candidate still fall short of the two-thirds threshold, the Chairperson will suspend the election.
In cases where only one candidate is in the race and fails to achieve the two-thirds majority after three rounds, the election will also be suspended by the current Chairperson.
