Finger on the Pulse.
Kenya opposition leader to bid for AU Chairmanship
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has embarked on a quest to become the Chairman of the African Union, leveraging his extensive past experience as the AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa. Odinga held this prestigious position from 2018 until last year when it was controversially terminated and transferred to Nepad, led by Ethiopian economist Nardos Bekele-Thomas. The termination was reportedly orchestrated from Nairobi as a reprisal for ongoing political activities. If Odinga succeeds, he will take over from the current AU chairman, Moussa Faki of Chad. President William Ruto is said to have endorsed the opposition leader’s candidacy as a strategy to engage his rival and prevent him from supporting other candidates in the 2027 elections.