In a twist worthy of a political drama, Kenya’s aspirations for the African Union chairmanship have once again come unstuck. Nairobi’s candidate – former prime minister Raila Odinga – was left high and dry as Djibouti’s foreign minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, won the most votes and bagged the coveted role.
Odinga had strong backing from William Ruto – and many think that’s why, despite being a favourite, he ultimately lost. The Kenyan president‘s policies on the continent have long been rubbing fellow African nations up the wrong way. Odinga’s defeat is possibly a relief to Kenya’s opposition, though – as they’d rather have him at home leading them and keeping government accountable.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67758635
https://kenyanforeignpolicy.com/nairobi-tight-lipped-on-railas-auc-campaign-budget/