Raila Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya, currently a candidate for AUC chairmanship. Photograph: Illustrated by TOE
The African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship candidate, Raila Odinga of Kenya, has shown his commitment to making AU leadership effective in finding a viable solution to fast-track climate change finance.
In his remarks at yesterday’s Africa Green Climate Finance National Designated Authorities Network (AfDAN) conference in Nairobi, he expressed his ambitions to address pressing issues of climate change.
“Africa has the biggest carbon sink, the Congo Forest. It is the second largest after Amazon in the world. So, Africa needs to be compensated,” he said.
“Climate finance has been here with us, but access to the finances remains one of the biggest challenges in responding to climate change,” he adds.
He has strongly criticized the annual international conferences on climate change as useless, emphasizing that leaders meet, make a speech, pack their luggage, and go back home with “nothing concrete come out of those conferences”.
“The African Union can be the champion on this. The African Union should be able to speak effectively on behalf of Africa. I hope I will be able to use that position effectively to represent Africa.”
According to AUC, the election will be held in February 2025 in Addis Ababa during the African Union Summit. Out of eight senior leadership positions, the Eastern African region will contest for the chairmanship, when the Northern African region will contest for the role of deputy chairperson position.
From the Eastern Africa region, Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssou, former Mauritius Foreign Minister Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, and Richard James Randriamandrato, a former Madagascar Foreign Minister are candidates.
Raila Odinga has won endorsement from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, and Rwanda and will present his agenda for Africa in a live TV debate next week, on Tuesday 27th of August.
