Kenya's Raila Odinga, who is seeking the chairmanship of the African Union Commission.
Kenya has reached out to the East African Community secretariat to market former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's candidature to other regional economic blocs, which it sees as crucial to boosting his chances.
Mr Odinga is vying for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission, the continental body's chief executive. And while the regional economic blocs have no vote in his bid, they pool the interests of influential members who could tip the balance.
EAC Secretary-General Veronica Nduva, in Beijing for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), has spent time meeting heads of other regional economic communities, lobbying for Mr Odinga's candidacy.
Leaders of the East African Community partner states had already agreed to support Mr Odinga's candidacy.
Ms Nduva, for her part, held talks with Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo, president of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS); Elias M Magosi, chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC); and Tarak Ben Salem, secretary-general of the Union Arab Maghreb (UMA).
Ms Nduva also met with Ms Chileshe M Kapwepwe, secretary-general of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), and Dr Omar Alieu Touray, president of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
“In a meeting on the sidelines of the FOCCA, heads of RECs exchanged pleasantries with the AUC candidate in a warm and cordial manner,” Ms Nduva said without confirming whether they had agreed to endorse him.
“The Secretariat will convene the International Jobs Candidatures Sub- Committee in line with the rules of procedure where the position of the EAC Heads of State Summit will be documented.”
During the launch of Mr Odinga's AUC bid last month, six EAC partner states including Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Kenya threw their weight behind him, Ms Nduva said.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, the newest members of the EAC regional bloc, did not send representatives to the official launch at State House in Nairobi. The two have not commented on Mr Odinga's endorsement.
The China-Africa Summit was an opportunity for Mr Odinga to engage directly with African leaders and garner support for his AUC bid.
President Ruto also met six African presidents in Beijing, China, to seek their votes for Mr Odinga.
President Ruto held talks with Presidents Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé of Togo, Assimi Goita of Mali, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, Mahamat Idriss Deby of Chad and Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia.
"Rwanda is a strong ally and strategic partner of Kenya. We share diplomatic, historical and cultural ties. Our two nations are also committed members of the East African Community, especially in regional integration, trade and people-to-people relations," Dr Ruto said on X after the meeting.
During the Beijing conference, Mr Odinga outlined his plans for Africa should he win the seat.
"At the Beijing conference, President Ruto and I seized the moment to engage with a dynamic array of African leaders," Mr Odinga said.
"We presented our bold plans for AU reforms and my candidacy for AUC chairperson. Their remarkable responses, enthusiasm and commitment fuel our drive toward a more unified and prosperous Africa."
In July this year, Mr Odinga met with the EAC Council of Ministers during a retreat in Zanzibar as the first step in getting the EAC to endorse his chairmanship.
During the retreat, Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora, urged EAC member states to support Raila's bid, adding that his credentials and experience put him in an advantageous position for the AUC job.
Mr Mudavadi called on the EAC member states to carefully evaluate Mr Odinga's candidature and make a resounding decision to support him.
“The deliberations that we have had at this ministerial meeting should guide us moving forward on what exactly is our point of focus and this will translate into the continental conversation moving into the future,” CS Mudavadi said at the time.
Kenya officially launched the former prime minister's bid to chair the AUC on August 29 at State House in Nairobi.
Mr Odinga is competing against Mahmoud Ali Youssou, foreign minister of Djibouti; Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, former foreign minister of Mauritius; and Richard James Randriamandrato, a former foreign minister of Madagascar. But there are still steps to be taken before they are officially declared candidates.
In July, Mr Odinga submitted his vision and curriculum vitae to a special committee of the African Union charged with vetting candidates. The committee will examine the documents before inviting the candidates for an interview.
The panel includes Burundian academic Paul Ngarambe, Ethiopian diplomat Konjit SineGiorgis, Ghanaian Patrick Hayford and South African Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko. The candidates will then be invited to a televised debate where they will answer questions from the public. They will then face off in an election scheduled for February next year.
President Ruto has been at the forefront of supporting Mr Odinga's bid for the top AU Commission post, saying he will protect the region's interests.
Mr Odinga's campaign strategy is to use such high-profile forums to present his vision for the African continent, with his campaign secretariat working on a multi-pronged approach to promote his candidacy.
Kenya plans to campaign across the continent, focusing on countries in southern and western Africa.
