African leaders including host President William Ruto and his counterparts Museveni, Samia Suluhu and Salva Kiir attend the launch of Raila Odinga's bid for AUC chairmanship at State House, Nairobi, Kenya on August 27, 2024.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's campaign for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC) has been hit by a major cash crunch, raising concerns about the Kenyan government's budget for the mission.
Barely four days after Mr Odinga’s colourful unveiling of his vision and priorities for Africa, Nation has established a “serious money squeeze,” raising fears about the success of the campaigns.
This shortfall could affect Mr Odinga’s strategic lobbying efforts, especially as securing support across the continent often requires substantial resources for travel, events, and diplomatic outreach.
The financial strain is sparking concerns among members of the campaign secretariat who have reported not receiving their monthly stipend.
During the launch of Mr Odinga’s campaigns on August 27, President William Ruto unveiled his campaign secretariat which he said would be co-chaired by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei and former Kenya's Ambassador to the United States Mr Elkanah Odembo.
In an earlier interview, Dr Sing’oei told Nation that the government would set aside a budget for the campaigns.
“Absolutely,” he told Nation at the time when reached for comment on whether the government would set aside budgetary allocations for the mission.
On Monday, multiple interviews with various members of the secretariat, as well as close aides of Mr Odinga, painted a grim picture of the campaigns where money is controlled by “unknown government institution which only provides it at will, especially to cater for the candidate’s programmes, while leaving his team at the behest of well-wishers.”
Another source pointed out that a security organ of the State appears to have usurped the role of the secretariat and was running the show.
“It is a sad state of affairs. Things are not as rosy as people outside here might think. Our only fear is that a huge allocation might be declared at the end of the campaigns which we might not be able to defend.”
Some staff of the secretariat are said to have nearly been left out of the Addis launch last week due to delayed travel plans.
Nation was informed that plans to have a private jet at Mr Odinga’s disposal for the campaigns which are entering fever pitch ahead of February polls to replace incumbent AUC chair Moussa Faki Mahamat have also not been finalised.
His strategists believe this would help him navigate across the continent with ease in a final diplomacy push ahead of next year’s poll.
“The biggest cost is for hiring of a private jet whose estimate we have gotten as US$ 600,000 and have received several quotations,” a source at the secretariat told Nation.
Nation was also informed that an allocation for the campaigns had been approved by the Cabinet but it remains a mystery how the funds are managed.
“I understand that an allocation for the campaign has been through Cabinet. That confirmation can only come from a Cabinet office. As for the secretariat, we are still waiting to receive our monthly stipend.”
Nation reached out to Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who also doubles up as the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary and PS Sing’oei who heads the campaign secretariat for comments on the financial position of the mission in vain.
Mr Mudavadi, who is currently in Baku, Azerbaijan, ahead of COP29 to represent President Ruto did not respond to queries by Nation, and neither did Dr Sing’oei or Mr Odembo.
Mr Odembo only stated that the campaigns were on course, adding that “probably” from next week, Mr Odinga will have a door-to-door campaign meeting with strategic leaders around the continent.
Read: Ruto’s plea to African leaders on Raila AUC bid
“He will start a door-to-door campaign with strategic leaders to send his message across, that his agenda, more than anything else, is to work with each one of them individually and in their regional economic communities and collectively at the summit level to implement and accelerate things they have already resolved,” Mr Odembo said.
He went on: “You heard him say that almost 95 percent of the resolutions have not been implemented. He wants to remove all those roadblocks by engaging with the individual leaders.”
Speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the weekend, Mr Odinga promised to champion the AU Agenda 2063.
“The AU Agenda 2063 stands as one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking regional frameworks, championing Africa’s unity and continental integration."
“The African Union also has existing frameworks and decisions that guide the Union on parameters on partner engagement including the Draft AU Partnerships, Policy and Strategic Framework. Guided by these, I will endeavour to strengthen the organisation’s collaboration with partners for our mutual benefit,” Mr Odinga said.
*Written by Justus Ochieng'
