A Look At Process Of Electing AU Commission Chair As Kenya Confirms Odinga Candidature

When the African Union heads of State Summit convenes in Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa in February next year, it will be the end of tenure for Chadian, Mousa Faki, after serving as the Chairman of African Union (AU) Commission since 2017.

The Chadian politician and diplomat is set to leave the chair that comes with highly demanding roles of Chief Executive Officer, Legal Representative and Accounting Office of the AU to a candidate that will emerge the winner from competitors in the Eastern region of the continent.

The previous Chairpersons have been coming from western, central and southern regions of the continent after highly competitive elections but the AU Executive Council has since asserted that the Eastern region will produce the next chairperson while the Vice Chairperson will come from North Africa.

One of the key contenders in the race of the secret ballot to be cast in about seven months time is Kenyan former Prime Minister and longtime opposition leader, Raila Odinga. The Government of Kenya has confirmed submitting his candidature to battle it with candidates from other countries in the region.

Kenyan Principal Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Korir Sing’Oei revealed recently that he had submitted Odinga’s application to the Dean of Eastern Region, Dharmraj Busgeeth, who is also the Ambassador of Mauritius in Nairobi.

“Under the authority of the Government of Kenya and as per the Statutes and Rules of the African Union Commission, we have formally submitted requisite documentation of Kenya’s nominee for the Chairmanship of African Union,” Sing’Oei said.

Former Vice President of Uganda, Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe who lost to Fati in the first round in 2017 is not giving a second shot at the lucrative position after President Yoweri Museveni’s Government pledged to back Odinga.

Fawwzia Yusuf Adam, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Somalia between 2012-2014 is also competing for the AU Chairpersonship. Others who have already expressed interest in the nominations that end on August 6, 2024 are; Djibouti Foreign Minister, Mohamoud Ali Youssouf; and, Former Vice President of Seychelles, Vincent Meriton.

When potential candidates show up, their Governments begin to woo other countries for support and such votes are openly pledged way back before the election date. And so far, Odinga who has five times unsuccessfully contested for Presidency of Kenya has pledged support from close to 20 out of the 55 member states of the AU.

Kenya’s campaign is primed on Odinga’s experience with hope that if elected, he would steer the continent in addressing economic distress, environmental challenges, conflicts, terrorism, and general social discord, exacerbated by geopolitical competition.

“Perhaps at no time in the history of the African Union has the continent needed a more visionary leader, an accomplished statesman and a quintessential pan-Africanist,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

About top job

According to information obtained from the AU website, the Commission is composed of the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and Commissioners, plus staff as provided for in the Constitutive Act, article 20 and the Commission Statutes, article 2.

While the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are elected by the Assembly; the Commissioners are elected by the Executive Committee.

“In November 2018 as part of Institutional Reforms, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government decided that, from 2021, the Commission shall be composed of eight members – the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and six Commissioners. The Assembly also decided to enhance the transparency and meritocracy of the Leadership selection process. The new process came into effect in January 2021,” reads part of the statement on the AU website as regards the forthcoming elections.

Already, a panel of eminent Africans to oversee the pre-selection of candidatures for the senior leadership of the Commission has been set and will be technically assisted by an independent African consultancy firm to develop job profiles and competency requirements for those positions. The job profiles include generic leadership skills and competencies as well as expert and thematic skills in relation to specific portfolios.

Some of the eminent Africans set for the assessments of the candidates are; Prof. Paul Ngarambe, from Burundi, representing the Central Region; Amb. Konjit SineGiorgis from Ethiopia, representing the Eastern Region; Amb. Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko from South Africa, representing the Southern Region; and, Amb. Patrick Hayford from Ghana, representing the Western Region.

The debate

When Fati was first elected in 2021, he and other candidates were subjected to an African Leadership Debate dubbed MjadalaAfrika and going forward this will be the procedure for candidates vying for the position of Chairperson of the Commission.

During this debate, the candidates are expected to address the Africans on key thematic areas that will be set by the organizers but what cannot be avoided are questions about each candidate’s plan for the transformation of Africa through the implementation of the AU Mandate and Africa’s Agenda 2063.