16/02/2025
Raila Odinga lost his bid to be the next AU Chairman. Djibouti’s Mahmoud Yousuf won. The man Kenya campaigned for with everything: presidential backing, diplomatic charm and state resources, still lost.
I'm a student of history and my crystal ball is clear why Raila lost. Stick with me here and see me elucidate why your government-backed candidate didn’t clinch the AU seat.
1. Africa sees us for who we really are.
Your village political class flocked into into Addis Ababa in droves like self-declared kingmakers. But Africa has long memories. The political shenanigans we normalize at home? They don’t play well on a continental stage. African nations don’t forget how you treat your own citizens. They see divisions, the tribal chess games and the political betrayals. And they judge you accordingly. We were on campaign mode from South Africa to Morocco and forgot that if you are not able to build a house at once, you must first build a shed.
2. The DRC war tilted the scales.
When bullets fly, politics shifts. Kenya’s involvement in DRC peacekeeping efforts wasn’t seen as neutral. It was seen as opportunistic. Some leaders felt we were meddling in Congo’s chaos while pretending to be peacemakers. Djibouti, on the other hand, stayed neutral. And neutrality, in a divided Africa, wins votes.
3. Hegemony is not leadership.
Kenya campaigned hard, yes. But there is a difference between diplomacy and hegemony. Many African countries saw our approach as arrogant, not inclusive and not trustworthy. The AU is not a marketplace where the highest bidder wins. It is about trust...And trust is not bought. It is earned.
So, what lessons do we deduce here?
Africans don’t just vote for a candidate. They vote for a country’s character. They vote for consistency. They vote for trust. Our ugly record of corruption and politicizing everything is widely known out there.
The Swahili say, nyani haoni kundule—the monkey doesn’t see its own backside. Maybe it is time we did.
CC:jack Githu
