President William Ruto has engaged with several African leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ahead of the African Union Commission (AUC) elections scheduled for February 15.
Among those he met was outgoing AUC Chair Moussa Faki, whom former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is vying to succeed. Raila faces competition from Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Randriamandrato in the highly contested election.
Ruto has been holding discussions on the sidelines of the 38th Ordinary Summit of the African Union Heads of State and Government. He met with leaders including Presidents Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea), Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), João Lourenço (Angola), Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.
The AUC chairperson is elected by AU member states, except those under military rule, and must secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. The position rotates among the five regions of the continent, with the Eastern region presenting a candidate this time and the Northern region expected to produce the deputy.
During his meeting with President Faye, Ruto emphasized strengthening Kenya-Senegal diplomatic ties and advancing AU reforms for financial sustainability and stability. With President Mbasogo, he reaffirmed Kenya and Equatorial Guinea’s commitment to fostering strong diplomatic and economic cooperation. Meanwhile, his discussions with President Lourenço focused on deepening trade, investment, and regional security collaboration under the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement and respective regional blocs, the EAC and SADC.
