Nandi, Kenya – President William Ruto’s aide, Farouk Kibet, has publicly defended the controversial decision by Kenya Kwanza to endorse opposition leader Raila Odinga for the African Union’s (AU) chairperson position, sparking mixed reactions.
Countering claims that the endorsement stems from fear of Odinga in the 2027 general election, Kibet emphasised, “We are not supporting him because we fear him. We are supporting him as a gift so that God can see us as generous people like other Kenyans. They should not see us as cowards, how can we fear a person that we defeated the other time?”
“Sisi hatutaki hasara ya kila siku ashindwe aseme ameibiwa. Sijui mwizi anakuwanga wapi katikati ya hii kura. (We no longer want him to lose, then come back to claim votes have been stolen. We do not where this thief is in every election circle),” said Kibet.
Kibet portrayed their support as a commitment to statesmanship over political rivalry. He emphasised, “We believe that President Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga are friends, and the move reflects a commitment to promoting statesmanship over partisanship.”
Migori Senator Eddie Oketch, from Odinga’s Azimio camp, however, remains sceptical.
He views the government’s support as a strategy to sideline Odinga, claiming, “The government’s push to have the former Prime Minister in charge of the AU is a strategy to stop him from fighting for Kenyans.”
Odinga has already received backing from former Nigerian president and AU Special Envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, who believes Odinga’s experience as Prime Minister makes him well-suited for the role.
“We believe that people who have held the positions of head of government, like at the PM level, will be able to knock on the door of incumbent PMs and presidents without much ado. Such people would probably be the right people armed with other attributes at this particular time,” said Obasanjo two weeks ago.
