The leadership of the two countries pledged their support for Odinga’s candidacy for the regional role during his visit to Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, on Sunday, where he attended the funeral service of the deceased Malawian Vice President, Saulos Chilima. The Vice President and nine other people died in a plane crash last week in Malawi’s northern region of Mzimba.

After the event, Odinga held talks with Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera at State House in Lilongwe, where the Head of State endorsed the former Kenyan Prime Minister’s bid to head the AU Commission.

Odinga was accompanied by two of his AUC campaign strategists: former Kenya Ambassador to the United States Elkanah Odembo and ex-Nyeri Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu.

Odembo told Kenya’s Daily Nation that Odinga also had a lengthy telephone conversation with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who, like the Malawi Head of State, pledged to promote Odinga’s bid among member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

"Both Zambia and Malawi not only assured Kenya of their support but also promised to campaign for [Odinga] among their SADC partner states," Odembo stated.

The two countries now join a growing list of nations that have pledged to support Odinga’s candidacy.

President Ruto last week announced that he had secured support from Algeria during the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy, after talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on the sidelines of the high-level forum.

"I have held a discussion with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune... [who] has pledged support for Kenya’s Africa Union Commission chairmanship bid," President Ruto wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Other countries that have endorsed Odinga’s candidacy include Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan.

Odinga, who previously served as African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development, is seeking to succeed Chad’s Moussa Faki in elections slated for February 2025.

The leader of the Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya coalition in Kenya received a huge boost in March after the African Union Executive Council unanimously resolved that candidates for the position of the next chairperson of the AU Commission would be nominated by the Eastern African regional states.

Other candidates eyeing the seat are former Seychelles Vice President Vincent Meriton, Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Youssouf, and ex-Somali Foreign Minister Fawzia Yusuf.

Odinga, who previously served as African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development, is seeking to succeed Chad’s Moussa Faki in elections slated for February 2025.