US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman has expressed her support for Azimio Chief Principal Raila Odinga’s African Union Commission Chairmanship bid.
Whitman said she has great respect for Raila and holds him in high regard.
“I am excited about the potential of him running the African Union and that is good for East Africa and probably good for Kenya. We recently met and had a nice conversation and I have a lot of respect for him,” the Ambassador said.
Whitman met with the Azimio Chief on May 3.
According to Raila, they were able to discuss a range of issues including the flood emergency and assistance efforts in the country, US investments in Kenya, and his candidature for AUC chairmanship.
On floods, Raila had urged the government to declare the ongoing floods a national disaster.
In February, Raila said he was ready to go for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission.
Raila explained why he was the best candidate for the job.
“I am inclined to accept the challenge and I am ready and I offer myself to be of service. I have asked my friend (Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo to continue to be a good ambassador and talk to other people,” he said then.
Raila said he had been consulting widely among friends on whether to take the job or not.
“The general Obasanjo has said he is one of my closest friends in the continent and has intimated that should there be an interest I will be keen to serve the continent of Africa,” he said.
“I believe that Africa is playing in a league that it should not play in.. and that it deserves better. “
Raila said Africa is the cradle of the human species adding that the first human that walked on this earth was African.
“I have served in the AU in the capacity of high representative, it gave me a good advantage to be able to learn about every African country for what they have and the comparative advantages and I believe that by walking together with the countries we can make Africa great,” he said.
Raila is seeking to replace Moussa Faki of Chad as the new AU Commission chairperson.
