Kalonzo Musyoka Blames Raila’s AUC Chair Defeat on DRC Conflict

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has broken his silence on why he believes Raila Odinga lost in the African Union Chairperson elections held on Saturday.

Odinga, despite being touted as a heavy favourite for the seat, lost to Djibouti’s foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who secured a resounding 33 votes to edge him out.

As Kenyans grapple with Odinga’s narrow defeat, his former running mate, Kalonzo Musyoka, has accused President William Ruto of playing a role in derailing Odinga’s chances. The Wiper Party leader suggested that Ruto’s actions inadvertently contributed to the loss. 

While insisting that a former Prime Minister like Odinga should have never lost to a foreign minister, Kalonzo believes the loss was largely because of Kenya’s severed 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.”

As violence escalates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President William Ruto, the current Chairperson of the East African Community (EAC), has been actively pushing for dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict between the DRC government and rebel forces. However, his involvement has not been without controversy.

How Raila lost

As far as Odinga’s loss in the AUC elections is concerned, several factors are believed to have played a part in the defeat.

Notably, the subsequent redistribution of SADC votes after Madagascar’s candidate, Richard Randriamandrato was eliminated in the third round likely enhanced Youssouf’s tally.

According to political analysts, there is growing support for Kalonzo’s theory, with suggestions that President Ruto and Kenya’s perceived partiality in the DRC conflict may have also worked against Raila’s chances.

Kalonzo, during the same church service, claimed DRC President Felix Tshisekedi was irked by Kenya seemingly backing Rwanda in the conflict—something which manifested itself in the Addis Ababa vote.

Meanwhile, Ruto has since passed his congratulatory messages to the new AUC chair, while Odinga in a commendable show of statesmanship, conceded defeat.