Opposition leader Raila Odinga will serve for only two years at the Africa Union Commission (AUC) if elected and return to contest in 2027, Public Service CS Moses Kuria has said.
Kuria claimed Raila’s bid to join the continental body was not hinged on his retirement from national politics.
“Raila is not going anywhere. Baba is coming back, he will do two years and come…,” he said.
“He was not born to be the chairman of AUC, he was born to be a politician in national politics,” the CS added.
He also defended the move by President William Ruto to support his candidature noting this was purely genuine and not a tactical plan to eliminate from the race as has been claimed.
Speaking during a radio interview Monday, Kuria explained that the Azimio leader is going for the seat as a way of ‘buying time’ ahead of 2027.
He argued that he will hand over the seat to an East African leader to finish the term “as he takes care of some urgent business.”
“Baba is filling time; he is trying to get something productive to do instead of wasting a good brain,” he stated.
Asked about Raila’s chances of clinching the presidential seat, Kuria was hesitant only saying a race involving him is always interesting and that contest cannot be wished away.
He said it will not be the first time he is in a rematch citing that of retired president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Kuria also pledged his support for the ODM leader noting it was good for the East Africa region as it was not currently doing well in terms of Pan-African leadership.
He pointed out that as EAC, they have set focus on clinching two seats this year; of AUC and African Development Bank (AfDB) presidency.
“The term of Dr Adesina my good friend from Nigeria is coming to an end in 2025, in May that year they are having an AGM here in Kenya and Kenya is preparing to put a bid,” he remarked.
“…so to have representation of people of the calibre of Raila in AU is paramount, good for us, good for politics and the place of EAC,” he added.
