39th Ordinary Session of AU Summit : William Ruto Meets Uhuru in Ethiopia as Kenya Politics Heat Up

tuko.co.ke · Feb 16, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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39th African Union Summit wrapped up in Addis Ababa after two days of high-level deliberationsPresident William Ruto and former President Uhuru Kenyatta met in the sidelines of the summit held in Addis Ababa In the meantime, ODM is facing deepening internal divisions after Edwin Sifuna rejected his ouster as ODM secretary generalTUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in KenyaThe 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit concluded on Sunday, February 15, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following two days of high-level deliberations by African heads of state and government.President William Ruto met with his predecessor Uhuru in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: Marigiri. Source: FacebookDuring the summit, President William Ruto met with his predecessor, former President Uhuru Kenyatta.A photo shared online showed Ruto and Uhuru alongside Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.Did Ruto meet Uhuru in Ethiopia?In a Facebook post, Ruto said their discussions with the prime minister focused on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in regional infrastructure, energy development, peace, and security."We also explored ways of better harnessing continental and regional institutions, including the African Union, the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to advance regional integration and expand intra-African trade," Ruto said.Uhuru, who attended the summit, participated in several engagements, including the official opening session and a closed-door meeting with sitting heads of state and country representatives.The Office of the 4th President of Kenya reported: "On the sidelines of the AU Assembly, Kenyatta also met with colleagues from the AU-EAC-SADC Panel of Facilitators to discuss progress on the ongoing mediation process in the Democratic Republic of Congo."List of leaders Ruto met in EthiopiaRuto also held meetings with other African leaders and officials, including Rwanda's Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, United Nations Under-Secretary General and UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita, Green Climate Fund Executive Director Mafalda Duarte, Afreximbank President George Elombi, Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobisse, Prime Minister Russell Dlamini of Eswatini, and Africa Development Bank President Sidi Tah.President William Ruto with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit. Photo: William Ruto Source: FacebookIn a related development, President Evariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi assumed the chairmanship of the AU, taking over from outgoing chairperson President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco of Angola. "We look forward to working with him to drive meaningful reforms for the AU. We also extend our gratitude to outgoing chairperson Joao Manuel for his dedicated leadership and service to the AU," Ruto said while congratulating Ndayishimiye.Political tensions in Kenya shadow AU meetingsThe Ruto-Uhuru interaction comes amid a heating political climate in Kenya, months ahead of the 2027 General Election.The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) continues to face internal divisions following the death of party leader Raila Odinga. On February 12, a faction within the party announced the removal of Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, aligning themselves with leaders supporting the broad-based government arrangement with Ruto.Sifuna rejected the move, insisting he remains the legitimate secretary general. He cited a court injunction that temporarily stopped his ouster, arguing due process had not been followed. On Sunday, February 15, Sifuna held a mega rally in Kitengela attended by thousands, seen by analysts as a show of strength.At the same time, a rival ODM brigade held a separate rally at Tononoka Grounds in Mombasa, highlighting the ongoing split within the party. Political circles claim that Uhuru is backing the Sifuna faction, while Ruto is allegedly supporting the opposing wing and sidelining dissenting voices within ODM. Neither side has publicly confirmed these funding allegations. Source: TUKO.co.ke