Nairobi, Feb. 18 -- Raila Odinga has always been an enigma in Kenyan politics. His performance abroad? Debatable, even when he was assigned by the African Union.

But, on Thursday, he said he was going for the African Union Commission Chairperson seat. One diplomat initially gave a brutal rating of a Raila candidacy but tampered it with a 'if'.

"It is very important in that business that the candidate come from the East African region. I just wonder what the appetite is for him. He will need 34 votes," said the diplomat who is involved in some of the African Union programmes.

The election is due early next year but the programme to replace the incumbent, Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, is set to begin soon as candidates express their desir...