NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 14 – Kenya’s candidacy for the Chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC) received significant support on Friday when Algeria endorsed Raila Odinga’s bid.
The endorsement from Algeria came after President William Ruto held discussions with Algerian President Tebboune Amadjid during the G7 meeting in Apulia, Italy.
Algeria joins a growing number of African countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, that have endorsed Kenya’s bid.
Raila is seeking to replace the current chair, Moussa Faki, in the February 2025 elections.
“I have held a discussion with President Tebboune Amadjid, Algeria, on the sidelines of G7 meeting in Apulia, Italy, who has pledged support for Kenya’s Africa Union Commission chairmanship bid,” President Ruto said.
Raila is competing against two other candidates: Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs minister Mahmoud Youssouf and Somalia’s former deputy prime minister and current member of the Federal Parliament, Fawzia Yusuf.
The Kenyan government, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has since established a dedicated secretariat to lead Raila’s campaign efforts.
