UDA Senator Explains How Ruto’s Blunders Cost Raila AUC Seat
Different leaders continue to weigh in on Raila Odinga’s AUC Chair seat loss, with Muranga Senator Joe Nyutu claiming President William Ruto was responsible for Kenya’s humiliating defeat in Addis Ababa.
Speaking on Monday at a local media station, the UDA Senator listed blunders from the Kenya Kwanza administration which he says cost Kenya the position of chairperson.
According to Nyutu, politics of francophone countries and Islamic countries were at play in Ethiopia and Kenya failed to successfully navigate these barriers for Raila Odinga.
“There were many blunders that the president committed and I think, ultimately, this is what cost us. Of course, there were these factors about francophone countries who voted as a bloc and Islamic countries who also voted as a bloc; but looking at the result of the first and the second round, I think that is not what was at play,” Nyutu noted.
”Looking at the results of Round 2, the blunders of President Ruto were a key factor that cost us. Specifically, his stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, where he sided with Israel, likely cost us the votes of all Muslim-majority states.”
He further noted how at home, Ruto’s move to back Raila for the AUC seat was suspicious and that other African heads of state may have been briefed on it and decided to vote the other way.
Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf triumphed in the election, securing the Chairperson seat.
In the first round, Raila received 22 votes, while Mahamoud garnered 18 votes, and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar secured 10 votes. One vote was abstained.
The second round saw Raila with 20 votes, Mahamoud with 18, and Randriamandrato again with 10. One country abstained.
In the third round, Raila’s vote count held steady at 20, but Mahamoud overtook him with 23 votes, while Randriamandrato’s support dwindled to 5. One vote was abstained. As a result, Randriamandrato was eliminated from the race, leaving Raila and Mahamoud to compete head-to-head.
Mahamoud increased his lead in the fourth round, securing 25 votes compared to Raila’s 21. There was one spoiled vote, and one country abstained.
In the fifth round, Mahamoud received 26 votes, while Raila garnered 21, with one abstention.
After the fifth round, Raila was eliminated from the race, leaving Mahamoud as the only remaining candidate.
In the final round, Mahamoud claimed victory, earning 33 votes, and is set to replace Chad’s Moussa Faki, who has held the position for eight years.
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