Win or lose AUC contest, the Raila factor will shape 2027 elections

Raila Odinga and Deputy Head of Mission Petronila Were in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 12, 2025. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

The clock is ticking as Africa braces for the high-stakes African Union Commission (AUC) elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In just a few hours, the continent is expected to know the successor to chairperson, Moussa Faki of Chad, whose eight-year tenure is drawing to a close.

Kenya is no stranger to the AUC race, having last fielded a candidate in 2016 when Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed contested. Despite intense lobbying across 51 African nations, Mohamed finished second in the 2017 elections, amid allegations of betrayal by allies and neighboring countries, who reportedly supported her only in the first round.