Raila Refuses To Blame Ruto For AUC Election Loss

Raila on Saturday, February 16 acknowledged President Ruto’s support as crucial to his campaign

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Feb 16, 2025 - 19:10
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Raila Refuses To Blame Ruto For AUC Election Loss
President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga engage in a conversation after meeting at President Yoweri Museveni's home in Kisozi, Uganda on Monday, February 26, 2024. /PCS

Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, asserted that President William Ruto was not to blame for his defeat in the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson elections to Djibouti's Mahamoud Youssouf.

After Mahmoud was declared the winner of the closely contested election in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Raila on Saturday, February 16 acknowledged President Ruto’s support as crucial to his campaign, emphasizing that the assistance he received from the head of state was invaluable and more than he could have hoped for.

Raila praised Ruto for leading a strong campaign, stating that it gave him confidence in securing victory. He insisted that his loss was not due to the campaign’s execution and assured Kenyans that more details about what happened would be revealed soon.

“President William Ruto did everything possible to make my campaign a success. He gave me all the logistical support that enabled me to travel all the length and breadth of the continent and made appointments for me to meet leaders across the continent,” he stated.

“We were sure were going to win but other factors came into play and they are going to come out soon."

Raila, a revered opposition leader, addressed the possibility of politicians pinning blame towards the government and opposition camps for his failure to secure the AUC seat, though affirmed that Ruto had fully supported him and made extra efforts to aid his success.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) maintains that the outcome of the election was influenced by factors beyond his control.

“There is going to be a lot of blame games. People will say Baba did not do as much as expected or it’s because Baba is now tired because he is too old. Others will say President Ruto just wanted to humiliate Baba and that he was not genuine in saying he was supporting him, and so forth,” he said amid cheers from Kenyans gathered at his hotel in Addis Ababa.

“I made a decision myself and announced that I wanted to run for the position of AUC chairperson. President Ruto only came and said he was going to support me when I had already made a decision and he genuinely supported me."

Despite his unsuccessful bid, Raila maintains that he has no regrets and remains open to serving the nation or continent in other roles.

Meanwhile, the blame games had already begun. On Sunday, February 16, Wiper Party Leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, blamed President William Ruto for playing a part in undermining Odinga's chances, suggesting that Ruto's actions inadvertently contributed to the defeat.

Kalonzo argued that a former Prime Minister like Odinga should not have lost to a foreign minister, attributing the loss primarily to Kenya's strained relations with Southern African Development Community (SADC) states.

"The biggest loser is not Raila Odinga, it is William Ruto and he is the one who has tainted the image of the country," Kalonzo said during a church service in Kitui.

He added, "The 16-member bloc of SADC had problems with Ruto, and that's why he called on a meeting and no one came. Hence the need to call another meeting in Dar es Salaam."

"That is one major reason because that bloc of 16 decided to vote for their person in round 2, remember Raila had 22 votes, and when the other Madagascar candidate pulled out the whole of SADC supported Djibouti because they had a problem with William Ruto. We have to tell each other the truth."

President William Ruto with new AUC chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf on February 15, 2025. /MAHMOUD YOUSSOUF

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