'Leadership issues': Kalonzo blames Ruto for Raila’s AUC bid flop

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka says President William Ruto is to blame for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s failure to clinch the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship seat on Saturday, which he says has dented Kenya’s image.

Speaking at a church service in Kitui County on Sunday, Musyoka said Odinga’s prospects in the continental role's race were undermined by Ruto’s efforts to mediate the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a few weeks ago.

“The 16-member SADC (Southern African Development Community) bloc had issues with William Ruto’s leadership. This is what caused this terrible loss to the country,” Musyoka said.

“Raila’s image was soiled by this loss. SADC supported Djibouti’s candidate because of their problem with Ruto.”

Musyoka has been downplaying Ruto’s efforts in the DRC peace talks, saying he had failed to support his former boss, retired president Uhuru Kenyatta when he was the EAC’s peace envoy to resolve the conflict.

Ahead of Saturday’s AUC chairmanship elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, SADC urged its members to back Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato in the polls, threatening Odinga’s bid.

The elections would later see Djibouti candidate Mahamoud Ali Youssouf win the seat after garnering 33 votes, constituting the required two-thirds, in the seventh round.

Odinga won the first two rounds of voting but then lost the next three rounds to Youssouf; in the first round, Odinga garnered 20 votes against Youssouf’s 18, while Randriamandrato bagged 10. There was one abstained vote.

Odinga secured 22 votes in the second round, Youssouf got 19, and Randriamandrato received seven. One nation abstained from the second round as well.

The former PM, however, came up short in the third round after receiving 20 votes, losing to Youssouf who rose to first place with 23, while Randriamandrato came third with five.

There was still one abstention, and Randriamandrato was eliminated from the election, leaving Odinga head-to-head against Youssouf.

Youssouf maintained his lead in the fourth round, scoring 25 against Odinga’s 21 votes. There was one spoilt vote while one nation abstained.

In the fifth round, Youssouf garnered 26 votes, Odinga scored 21, and one nation abstained.

Youssouf maintained his lead into the sixth round, garnering a similar 26 votes, while Odinga got 22 with one abstention.

Odinga was then dropped from the vote, with Youssouf remaining the only candidate in the seventh round, in a bid to secure two-thirds of the votes.

Youssouf is now set to replace the outgoing Moussa Faki of Chad who has held the position for eight years.