Blunders Raila and Ruto hope to avoid in bid for Africa's top seat

From left: Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiy, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and lawyer Makau Mutua in Bujumbura, on February 12, 2025. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Wednesday made a stop in Bujumbura, Burundi, in a last-minute campaign for his candidature to replace Moussa Faki Mahamat as the African Union Commission (AUC) chairman.

As he met President Évariste Ndayishimiye, the ODM leader has history to look back to and avoid the pitfalls that saw Kenya lose the seat in 2017.