Nairobi, Feb. 17 -- President William Ruto and top government officials, have been quietly lobbying regional leaders to back Kenya's bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) top job during their foreign trips, the Nation has learnt.

Insider sources aware of the behind-the-scenes deliberations between Dr Ruto, opposition leader Raila Odinga and former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, confirmed that even before Thursday's public announcement, the shuttle diplomacy was well underway with the ongoing AU meeting in Ethiopia being the latest leg of the efforts.

However, it also emerged that President Ruto was in catch-22 in making public Kenya's choice of candidate until he was convinced Mr Odinga would not back down.

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