By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is on Wednesday expected to address the nation with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga jointly.
A press invite posted on Mudavadi’s social media pages indicates that the address will start at 9.00 am.
It will be held at the Prime CS’s office located at Kenya Railways Headquarters off Haile Selassie Avenue.
The statement signed by the Press Director at the Office of the Prime Cabine Secretary Salim Swaleh indicates that the joint address relates to the ODM leader’s bid to be the next African Union Commission chairperson.
“Joint press briefing by the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Musalia Mydavadi and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga,” read part of the media invite signed by Swaleh.
“Subject: Update on the status of Kenya’s candidacy for the African Union Commission chairmanship,” it added.
The government has already declared it support for Raila’s bid for the AU seat.
President William Ruto has been taking the lead in supporting the former Prime Minister, despite his criticisms of some of the government’s policies.
Raila has been named among the front runners to win the seat and succeeded the current AU commission chairperson Musa Faki.
The African Union Commission (AUC) is the AU’s secretariat and undertakes the day-to-day activities of the Union. It is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Its functions, include: Representing the AU and defending its interests under the guidance of and as mandated by the Assembly and the Executive Council.
The Commission chairperson has a four-year term and runs the organization’s secretariat, the repository of its institutional expertise.
He is also the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer.
Election for the new chair will be selected at the next AU summit, in 2025.
The Chairperson of the AUC is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once.