Former United Nations Conference on Trade Development secretary-general Mukhisa Kituyi has stated that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s loss at the African Union Commission elections, had nothing to do with Raila’s campaign as an individual.
Raila’s loss in the elections saw Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf elected chairperson of AUC after securing 33 votes in the seventh round of voting
Raila was battling Youssouf and Madagascar’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Richard Randriamandrato in the elections.
“To say Raila faltered is to assume he could have done something about it. I think he went the extra mile but the structural challenges in the electoral process played against him. A number of things did not work in his favour,” he said.
He added that when the only non-francophone candidate won the elections, there was virtual unity across Anglophone Africa. He however said the candidate was perceived to have performed badly during the term.
Kituyi added that the move by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to declare solidarity with the candidate from Madagascar was a major blow to Raila.
He further pointed out that the francophone (French speaking) made promises to Raila which they did not keep.
“The francophone bloc even after they made promises verbally they would d support Raila, did what we expected them to do, that is to stick with their own,” he said.
You should not downplay him. In matters of appealing to Africa, Raila is larger than President William Ruto. Do not think that Ruto was winning support for Raila,” he added.