Why Ruto will be in trouble if Raila doesn't win the AUC elections

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has claimed that President William Ruto would be in trouble if Azimio chairman Raila Odinga did not take over as Chairman of the African Union Commission (AUC).

In an interview on Thursday, August 29, Maanzo claimed that if the Azimio chairman did not win, Kenyans would believe the president was the reason.

The MP further claimed that Kenya counts its chicks before they hatch, criticising President Ruto's Nyanza tour.

“All of us in Addis Ababa wish Raila well, but I see Kenya counting its chicks before they hatch. The president is running fast to Nyanza. What will happen if Raila does not win the AUC elections? I think the president will be in big trouble because every Kenyan will believe he is the reason,” Maanzo noted.

The Azimio senator pointed out that the President should campaign for the Azimio leader by contacting other heads of state and not visiting Raila's backyard.

“There are things he can do to ensure that Raila wins the AUC elections. He should contact the presidents, but not flee to Nyanza and waste more public resources,” Maanzo said.

President Ruto kicked off his four-day Nyanza tour after launching Raila’s AUC bid at State House in Nairobi on Tuesday, August 27.

In his opening speech, the Head of State stated that the Azimio boss was the right man for the job because of his reputation as a keen Pan-Africanist who has always shown great confidence in Africa's potential.

Elections for the AUC chair will take place in February 2025 during an African Union summit.

Odinga faces three candidates: Djibouti's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Anil Kumarsingh Gayan from Mauritius and Richard Randriamandrato from Madagascar.