Macharia highlighted that Kenya’s candidacy posed a threat to nations in North and West Africa, resulting in a shift in allegiance. However, he did not provide specific details on the matter.
“We did not succeed in those last two campaigns and we had an excellent candidate in Amina Mohamed, particularly in the AUC seat she was well positioned, even in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) because of her experience in Geneva where she had spent a lot of time on various portfolios,” Macharia said.
“For the AU, it is fair to say that there was a strategic mistake that was made in the very last days and weeks of that campaign which had to do with how we vocalised our intentions once we got into the job. This is nothing personal, it is just the way it turned out.”
Macharia opined that the rather negative in the constituencies in North and West Africa came to haunt Kenya on the day of the election, even though the country was among the frontrunners until the very last days.
Despite this, the former PS expressed confidence that Raila Odinga has a chance of winning the AUC chairmanship election scheduled for Saturday, February 15, 2025.
Ambassador Macharia praised Raila’s campaign strategy and the careful drafting of his vision, emphasizing that it remained within appropriate boundaries.
He also commended Raila for his carefully chosen remarks, emphasizing that they were well-measured and did not trigger any diplomatic tensions among the 49 member states participating in the election.
“I think we have learnt those lessons and Raila Odinga has been more careful not to overstate his intentions on what he can do and what he cannot do once he is in power because everybody sees it from a different angle.”
“What we understood is that some of our local politics are shipped out into regional politics. But to be honest, I wish him well, Kenya needs to win because it is our turn,” Macharia insisted.
Collage of former Madagascar Foreign Affairs Minister Richard J Randriamandrato, former Kenya Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti. /VIRAL TEA KE