President William Ruto is taking optimal advantage of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing to step up Kenya’s efforts in drumming up support for Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga’s bid for the position of Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Afer spending most of his time in development meetings yesterday, President Ruto’s itinerary today reveals an intense programme in back-to-back meetings with colleague Heads of State and Government from across Africa.
The president, accompanied by the former Prime Minister has so far met with presidents Denis Sassou Nguesso (Congo-Brazaville), Faure Gnassingbé (Togo), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Mahamat Deby (Chad), Hakainde Hichilema (Zambia), Assimi Goita (Mali) and Guinea Bissau’s Umaro Embalo.
Meetings of this nature are crucially important in that they will accord the president and Hon. Odinga an opportunity to share with these leaders Raila’s leadership vision and plans for the AU Commission, and formally request and hopefully secure their support for the February 2025 elections.
Given that this is only President Ruto’s second full working day in Beijing, and considering the number of African leaders attending the summit, it is likely to see more of such engagements.
Ruto has entered into a powersharing parternship with Raila Odinga that has seen key figures in his ODM.party appointec to the Cabinet.
This came after a Gen Z revolution threatened to overthrow his government forcing him to fire his Cabinet and create space for the opposition figures.
