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Azimio leader Raila Odinga 

In a significant move, Raila Odinga, the former Prime Minister of Kenya, has officially entered the race to become the next African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson. The bid was submitted by Korir Sing’oei, Principal Secretary of the State Department for Foreign Affairs, along with members from Raila’s secretariat, in Addis Ababa on Monday.

This submission has put to rest weeks of speculation regarding the government's support for Raila's candidacy, which had been fueled by recent anti-government protests.

The African Union Commission has set August 6 as the deadline for the submission of candidacies from various hopefuls aiming to succeed Moussa Faki.

Following the submission, several steps remain for Raila and other candidates to realize their ambitions of becoming the AUC chairperson. To ensure that candidates are selected based on merit rather than political deals, the African Union has established a panel of eminent persons who will vet candidates and create a shortlist.

This panel, composed of five distinguished individuals from each region, was appointed in February 2024 and is tasked with overseeing the pre-selection of candidatures for the eight senior leadership positions within the AUC.

The next step for the AUC chairperson candidates is to participate in the Africa Leadership Debate, known as Mjadala Afrika. This televised debate, broadcast live across the continent, will allow candidates to present their visions and ideas for implementing Agenda 2063. Details about the debate's venue and dates will be announced in due course.

The election process will culminate in a secret ballot, with the Assembly of Heads of State and Government electing the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. Meanwhile, the Ministerial Executive Council will elect the Commissioners, who will then be appointed by the Assembly.

These elections are set to take place in February 2025 during the African Union Summit. All eight senior leadership positions of the AU Commission, including the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and six Commissioner posts, are open for candidates’ submissions, following the principle of inter-regional rotation.