Kenya Rubbishes SADC Directive To 16 Countries On Madagascar AUC Candidate
According to Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei, it was unfair for SADC to urge its 16 member states to vote for Randriamandrato in the AUC election
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
The government on Friday, February 14, denounced a directive by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to 16 countries to endorse Madagascar’s African Union Commission (AUC) Chairmanship candidate, Richard Randriamandrato, presenting a difficult task to Kenya's Raila Odinga in terms of securing the seat after the coming weekend.
According to Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei, it was unfair for SADC to urge its 16 member states to vote for Randriamandrato in the AUC election set to take place on Saturday, February 15.
Korir, who addressed the media, argued that Madagascar should technically not be on the ballot. "First it is important to mention that this is the turn of a member of the Eastern region to be elected to chair the AU commission. Madagascar is a unique place because it straddles both the Eastern region and the Southern region," he remarked.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei. /FILE
"From a technical standpoint, I think Madagascar should not be on the ballot with regard to the Eastern region because if elections it was the turn of the Southern Region they could still contest. It gives them an unfavourable advantage but beyond that, if you look technically at the letter by the Secretary General of SADC who is a Bureaucrat."
Korir also faulted a letter by SADC to all foreign ministers of the member states, indicating that it was issued merely five days before the election and that it was addressed in a manner that introduced Randriamandrato as an unknown in the trade bloc.
He further contended that the letter from SADC suggests there is not enough time to convene a ministerial summit to approve this decision. In his view, this implies that the endorsement of the Madagascar candidate will not be confirmed at the Heads of State level and, therefore, does not constitute an official endorsement.
Additionally, the Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary clarified that the letter from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to its member states was merely a diplomatic formality rather than an official directive.
He stressed that it did not signify a formal endorsement of Madagascar's candidate but was instead a customary appeal for regional backing.
“In the end, the letter merely requests, out of courtesy, that the region supports their candidate and so to our minds, we do not think that it will have any bearing,” added Korir.
However, the PS affirmed that the Kenyan government is leaving nothing to chance and is actively engaging with regional partners to secure their backing.
He stressed that despite earlier assurances from SADC nations, Kenya is taking additional steps to understand the letter’s implications and any potential underlying motives.
“I did mention, in light of that letter, because we already have quite some assurances from SADC countries of their support. We are reaching out again to SADC countries to understand what motivations behind this letter could be,” he said.
The timing of the SADC letter—just two days before the election—came as a surprise. If acted upon, it could significantly impact Raila’s chances, despite months of intensive campaigning across the SADC region and the broader African continent.
SADC comprises 16 countries located in the southern part of Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Lesotho, and Madagascar.
Other member states of the economic bloc are Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Tanzania's inclusion came as a surprise given that it was asked to go against supporting a candidate from the East African Community (EAC).
55 nations are preparing to vote for the next AUC chairperson, with the election scheduled for Saturday, February 15, in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa. To secure victory, one of the three candidates must obtain a two-thirds majority vote from the 55 member states, which amounts to 33 votes.
The election process takes place through a secret ballot during the AU Assembly, where heads of state and government cast their votes.
