Odinga courts Mbumba for AU post support
Veteran politician tours Southern Africa
Odinga will compete for the coveted position against Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar.
Veteran Kenyan politician and opposition leader Raila Odinga visited State House yesterday to meet with President Nangolo Mbumba, as part of his Southern African tour to canvass support for his bid to become the next chairperson of the African Union Commission.
The commission’s ordinary session of the Executive Council will be held on February 12 and 13, just days before the meeting of heads of state on February 15 and 16, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Elections for the new top leadership of the AU will take place during the Executive Council meeting. Odinga will compete for the coveted position against Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar. Additionally, a deputy chairperson and six commissioners will also be elected.
During yesterday’s event, Odinga expressed his pleasure at being back in Namibia and shared that he has been speaking with various African leaders about the need for unity across the continent. He emphasized that although African countries are independent, they remain divided, which hampers the movement and trade of the continent’s people. He called for greater infrastructure development, such as highways, high-speed railways, and flights, to open up the continent for the movement of people and goods.
Another key focus is Africa’s youth, with about 70% of the continent’s population being younger than 35. “How do we empower young people? How do we improve their access to the internet and the use of artificial intelligence to accelerate their development?” he asked.
Odinga acknowledged the recent increase in coups in Africa and said the specific factors contributing to them must be identified and addressed. He noted that war continues to plague the continent despite the AU's goal to silence the guns by 2020. “They are still making noise,” he said, referring to firearms across Africa, adding that they hinder development because development requires peace. “Insecurity hinders development,” he said.
“I will lead from the front,” he concluded.
The commission’s ordinary session of the Executive Council will be held on February 12 and 13, just days before the meeting of heads of state on February 15 and 16, at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Elections for the new top leadership of the AU will take place during the Executive Council meeting. Odinga will compete for the coveted position against Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar. Additionally, a deputy chairperson and six commissioners will also be elected.
During yesterday’s event, Odinga expressed his pleasure at being back in Namibia and shared that he has been speaking with various African leaders about the need for unity across the continent. He emphasized that although African countries are independent, they remain divided, which hampers the movement and trade of the continent’s people. He called for greater infrastructure development, such as highways, high-speed railways, and flights, to open up the continent for the movement of people and goods.
Another key focus is Africa’s youth, with about 70% of the continent’s population being younger than 35. “How do we empower young people? How do we improve their access to the internet and the use of artificial intelligence to accelerate their development?” he asked.
Odinga acknowledged the recent increase in coups in Africa and said the specific factors contributing to them must be identified and addressed. He noted that war continues to plague the continent despite the AU's goal to silence the guns by 2020. “They are still making noise,” he said, referring to firearms across Africa, adding that they hinder development because development requires peace. “Insecurity hinders development,” he said.
“I will lead from the front,” he concluded.
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