Ruto did not sabotage my AUC bid, Raila says
Raila called on Kenyans to move on from the election, which took place on Saturday, February 15, and focus on building the nation.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has dismissed claims that President William Ruto was responsible for his unsuccessful bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship. The top seat was won by Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
Speaking at a dinner in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday after the election, Odinga defended Ruto, insisting that the President had provided full support for his campaign.
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He acknowledged that his loss in the AUC chairmanship race is likely to spark speculation, including claims about his age, inadequate financial investment in shuttle diplomacy, and suggestions that President Ruto backed his bid as a strategy to sideline him from local politics.
“There will be a lot of blame games: I did not do much as expected; I am tired and too old; Ruto was not genuine in supporting me… Ruto did everything possible for this campaign. He gave me all the logistical support I needed and made my appointments to meet all leaders on the continent,” Odinga said.
He dismissed such rumours and instead expressed gratitude to Ruto for fully supporting his campaign. He said the President deployed all available resources to help his bid, ensuring he had the necessary logistical support to travel across the continent and meet key leaders.
“I want to say that Ruto and his government did everything possible to support this campaign. They gave me all the logistical support I needed, which enabled me to traverse the continent and secure appointments with leaders,” he said.
Raila called on Kenyans to move on from the election, which took place on Saturday, February 15, and focus on building the nation. He emphasised that his decision to contest the position was entirely his own, made without external pressure.
“I made the decision myself and announced that I wanted to run for this position. Ruto only came and said he wanted to support me when I had already made the decision,” he said.
Despite conducting an extensive campaign backed by the government, Raila admitted that other factors influenced the outcome, ultimately leading to his loss.
“We were sure of a win, but as I said, other factors came into play. Those factors will eventually be revealed,” he said. “I walk with my head tall.”
IGNORE the blame game, @RailaOdinga, - President @WilliamsRuto did everything possible to support me. pic.twitter.com/Ms6qsKmP5a
— -Dennis Itumbi, CBS (@OleItumbi) February 16, 2025
Raila also confirmed that he will attend a thanksgiving rally organised by female Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) politicians, stating that, despite the loss, Kenya’s participation in the contest was still a victory for the country.
President Ruto, who also attended the event, expressed disappointment over Odinga’s loss, stating that he believed the former prime minister was the best candidate for the role.
“I regret that Africa missed an opportunity to be served by the finest of our continent. But I am proud of Raila,” he said.
However, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has blamed Ruto’s recent diplomatic engagements for Odinga’s defeat, specifically pointing to his role in mediating the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“The 16-member SADC (Southern African Development Community) bloc had issues with Ruto’s leadership. This caused this terrible loss to the country,” Musyoka said during a church service in Kitui County on Sunday.
“Raila’s image was soiled by this loss. SADC supported Djibouti’s candidate because of their problem with Ruto.”
Ahead of the election, SADC had urged its members to back Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato, a move that further complicated Odinga’s bid.
In the final vote, Mahamoud secured 33 votes, surpassing the two-thirds threshold needed to clinch the seat. He will now take over from Chad’s Moussa Faki, who has led the commission for the past eight years.
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