Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Kenyan President William Ruto have conferred on Kenyan former Prime Minister and current opposition leader Raila Odinga's bid for the top African Union (AU) chairmanship and expressed their support for Odinga's aspiration.
"I am very grateful to President Museveni for strongly endorsing my candidacy and to President Ruto for fully backing it," Odinga posted on X.
The opposition leader is reportedly soliciting backing from several African nations to assist him replace the current AU Commission chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, when his tenure concludes in February next year.
Museveni hosted both Ruto and Odinga at his residence on Monday.
Museveni hosted both Ruto and Odinga at his residence on Monday.
This meeting seems to have taken many people in both countries by surprise, as it came despite the recent rivalry between Kenya and Uganda, as well as between Ruto and Odinga.
Odinga orchestrated a series of countrywide demonstrations against Ruto's administration last year over the high cost of living, escalated political tensions between the two leaders.
Furthermore, a dispute over petroleum supplies between Kenya and landlocked Uganda arose last November, with Museveni saying his country was being "cheated" by "parasites" and intermediaries in Kenya.
However, following the meeting, Ruto shared on X that he and President Museveni have "agreed on a way forward" and that "the issues affecting the flow of petroleum products between Kenya and Uganda are being resolved."
Last August, the media reported that Odinga would be Ruto's main opponent in the race for the forthcoming election in 2027. During last election, Ruto got 50.49% of votes compared to Odinga's 48.85%.
In the same month, representatives of the Kenyan government and the opposition held preliminary talks to forge a way forward in the long-running standoff that sparked protests last year.