‘Ni siri yetu’ – Mudavadi declines to reveal total number of endorsements govt has secured for Raila’s AUC bid
With just days to go before the highly anticipated election for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has refused to disclose the exact number of endorsements secured for Raila Odinga’s candidacy.
Speaking outside the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Mudavadi maintained that the Kenyan government remains in full campaign mode and will continue lobbying for Raila’s election until the final moment.
“Wakati huu kwa sababu tunaingia kipindi cha lala salama, jukulu letu kati ya sasa na siku ya kupiga kura ni kuzungumza na kuwashawishi wenzetu kutoka mataifa mengine ili wapeane kura kwa mweshimiwa Raila awe mwenyekiti mpya wa African Union Commission. Kwa wakati huu mataifa 49 yamedhibitisha kwamba yako hapa [Addis Ababa] na tumepata quorum ya kufanya uchaguzi,” Mudavadi said.
(“As we enter the homestretch, our task between now and election day is to engage and persuade our counterparts from other nations to vote for Honorable Raila as the next chairperson of the African Union Commission. At the moment, 49 member states have confirmed their presence here in Addis Ababa, and we have attained the quorum required to proceed with the election.”)
Pressed to reveal the number of endorsements Raila has garnered, Mudavadi remained evasive.
“Sasa hio ndo siri yetu. Na hatulala mbaka tufikie kila taifa,” Mudavadi said.
(“That is our secret. And we will not rest until we have reached every nation.”)
Despite the secrecy surrounding the numbers, the Foreign Affairs CS expressed confidence in the integrity of the upcoming vote, set to take place during the 38th Ordinary Assembly of Heads of State and Government on Saturday, February 15, 2025.
“Hii demokrasia, itakua kura ya kisiri na matumaini yetu ni kwamba matokeo yatakua mazuri. Tuna nia ya kuhakikisha Wafrika wote na tufanye kazi pamoja,” he said.
(“This is a democratic process. It will be a secret ballot, and we remain hopeful that the outcome will be favourable. Our goal is to work together as Africans for the collective good of the continent,” Mudavadi emphasized.)
The race for the AUC chairperson has entered its final stretch, with all eyes on the crucial vote scheduled for February 15-16, 2025.
Raila, a seasoned politician and former Prime Minister of Kenya, is seen as a formidable contender in what is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched elections in African Union history.
As African leaders gather in Addis Ababa, diplomatic manoeuvring is in high gear, with candidates intensifying their outreach to secure last-minute commitments.
The outcome of the election will not only shape the AU’s leadership but also influence key policy directions for the continent in the years to come.
