Azimio leader Raila Odinga has welcomed South Sudanese president Salva Kiir’s endorsement of his African Union Commission bid following a meeting in South Sudan.
Through his X account, Odinga stated that Kiir expressed his commitment to rally the East African community to vote in his favour.
“Had a very productive meeting in Juba with the President of South Sudan. Thank you, H.E. Salva Kiir Mayardit, for hosting me. Your support and commitment to rallying the entire EAC block behind my AUC Chair candidacy are greatly appreciated,” he said.
The former premier has sustained his campaigns for the continental position with the Kenyan government-backed campaign secretariat run by the State Department for Foreign Affairs to bolster his winning chances.
Kenya will be filing its bid ahead of the August 6 deadline in a race that has attracted candidates from Seychelles, Djibouti as well as Somalia.
Kenya has secured the support of Uganda and Rwanda as it seeks endorsement as the regionally-backed candidate.
The African Union unanimously adopted the right of the Eastern Africa region to produce the next Chairperson of the African Union Commission on March 25.
The region includes Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania.
The resolution was a culmination of institutional reforms initiated in November 2018 when the AU Assembly resolved to enhance the transparency and meritocracy of the leadership selection process, emphasizing principles such as equitable regional representation, gender parity, and attracting top talent from across Africa.