South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir, travelled to Kenya on Monday following an official invitation from his Kenyan counterpart, President William Ruto. The visit was to attend the launch ceremony for Raila Odinga’s candidacy as Nairobi’s preferred choice for the Chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC) in 2025. President Kiir, currently the Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), is expected to rally support for Odinga, leveraging his influence among the EAC member states to garner votes for Odinga in the upcoming AU elections scheduled for February 2025.

During his visit, President Kiir is also expected to pledge his support for Odinga and use his diplomatic influence to encourage other states to back Odinga’s candidacy. In addition, he will be briefed on the progress of the ongoing Tumaini Peace negotiations in Nairobi, which involve discussions between the Kenyan government and rebel groups, commonly referred to as the “holdout groups.”

Raila Odinga, a seasoned Kenyan politician, has run for the presidency of Kenya multiple times but has not succeeded. Earlier this year, Odinga officially visited President Kiir in Juba to seek comprehensive support from the EAC Chairperson for his AU bid. Shifting his focus from Kenya’s presidency, Odinga is now keen to serve in a prominent role within the African Union. Odinga, who served as Kenya’s Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and as the Member of Parliament for Lang’ata, has also been a notable opposition leader. Despite filing a petition against President William Ruto following the 2022 elections, Odinga now has Ruto’s full support for his AU Commission Chair bid.

The African Union Commission chairperson elections, set for February 2025, will elect the fifth Chair to succeed the current Chairperson, Moussa Faki. The African Union consists of 52 republics and three monarchies, representing a continent with a total population of over 1 billion people as of 2013.