Kalonzo Musyoka, the leader of the Wiper Party, has blamed President William Ruto’s tense diplomatic ties with regional leaders for Raila Odinga’s defeat in the campaign for chair of the African Union Commission (AUC).
Speaking on Saturday, February 22, 2025, Kalonzo said that the loss was a result of Kenya’s declining regional ties during Ruto’s rule rather than a reflection of Raila’s candidacy.
“Ruto defeated the candidate from Djibouti, not Raila. Ruto’s bad relationships with other presidents caused him to lose. The presidents themselves were casting their ballots, not Raila,” Kalonzo stated.
The former vice president attributed the diplomatic tensions to persistent security issues in the region, specifically the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the east.
Tanzanian soldiers were recently killed and the city of Goma, DRC, taken. Burundi voiced similar worries. People are still dying in the DRC. More than 5,000 victims are being laid to rest in open graves, according to the photos. He said, “South African soldiers have also been killed in Goma.”
Kalonzo also asserted that before to his marginalization, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta had been successfully leading regional peace initiatives, a decision that he feels exacerbated the region’s security crisis.
During a Senate meeting on February 19, 2025, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna also attributed Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful quest for the AUC chairperson to Kenya’s foreign policy.
Sifuna maintained that although Raila was a formidable contender, his chances were harmed by Kenya’s contentious diplomatic choices that turned off possible supporters.
“I want to make it very apparent that everyone agrees that our candidate was perfect. As far as I can tell, the issue is the republic’s poor manners, which he encountered,” Sifuna said.
He claimed that by allowing some rebel organizations from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to stay in Kenya, regional stability was jeopardized.
Inconsistencies in Kenya’s position on international crises, especially those in the Middle East, were also cited by Sifuna as a potential disadvantage for Raila.
He maintained that the results of the AUC elections were probably impacted by these inconsistencies between Raila’s personal beliefs and Kenya’s official statements.
