NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16—Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya says Raila Odinga’s defeat in the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship race in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, highlights the undeniable impact of social media on political landscapes.
Salasya argued that despite government efforts to dismiss youth voices on social media criticizing Raila’s bid, African leaders “saw the truth”.
“Despite attempts by the government to dismiss youth voices on social media, African leaders have seen the truth. The voice of the people has resonated loud and clear,” Salasya said on Sunday.
A section of Kenyans has accused Raila of betraying their cause during anti-government protests for his own political gain by choosing to work with President William Ruto at the height of the Gen Z protests last year.
Meanwhile, human rights activist Hussein Khalid claims African leaders cannot trust the Kenyan government to lead the AUC due to instances of human rights abuses, adding that Raila’s defeat was well deserved.
In a statement on Saturday reacting to the loss, Khalid alleged that Raila had betrayed Kenyan youth who protested last year demanding government accountability and used their struggles for his own gain.
“For Rex Masai, Evans Kiratu, Ibrahim Kamau, Beasley Kogi, Eric Shieni, Abdikadir… Raila’s loss is well deserved! You can’t betray and dance on the graves of the youth of Kenya and pretend to care about Africa. That loss is dedicated to the more than 62 youth killed during the Gen Z protests last year,” Khalid posted on his X account.
Khalid also called for Raila’s retirement from active politics.
Tight race
Raila lost the AUC chairmanship election on Saturday to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who secured the two-thirds threshold with 33 votes in the seventh round of voting after a fiercely contested race.
Following his defeat, Raila conceded and expressed gratitude to his supporters while emphasizing the importance of respecting democratic processes in Africa.
“I had offered myself as a candidate. Over the last few months, I have traveled across the continent, engaging with different leaders and canvassing for their votes. Today, they have expressed their will,” Odinga said.
“As it is, we did not succeed. We must strengthen democracy on the African continent, and I am therefore conceding defeat. I want us to use this as an example of how to reinforce democratic values across Africa.”
This marks Kenya’s second unsuccessful bid for the AUC chairmanship, following Amina Mohamed’s defeat to Chad’s Moussa Faki in 2017.
Despite aggressive lobbying by President William Ruto, including diplomatic tours across Africa to rally support for Odinga, the bid failed to secure unanimous backing from East African nations.
Odinga, who had spent months canvassing for votes across the continent, now plans to return home and focus on other responsibilities.
“My plan now is to go back home. I have many things to do,” he stated.
Despite the loss, Odinga reiterated his commitment to the African cause, affirming that he remains available to serve in any capacity to advance the continent’s progress.
