Editor's Review

"We are all wishing Raila well in Addis Ababa but I find Kenya counting its chicks before they are hatched."

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has claimed that President William Ruto will be in trouble if Azimio leader Raila Odinga does not clinch the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position.

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

The lawmaker further asserted that Kenya was counting her chicks before they were hatched as he poked holes into President Ruto's Nyanza tour. 

"We are all wishing Raila well in Addis Ababa but I find Kenya counting its chicks before they are hatched. The president quickly runs to Nyanza. What will happen if Raila doesn't win the AUC elections? I think the president will be in a lot of trouble because every Kenyan will believe that he is the reason," Maanzo remarked.

The Azimio senator noted that the president should be campaigning for the Azimio leader by getting in touch with other heads of state and not visiting Raila's backyard.

President William Ruto.

"There are things he can do to make sure Raila wins the AUC elections. He should be getting in touch with the presidents but not running away to Nyanza and waste more public resources," Maanzo explained.

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

Speaking during the launch, the Head of State stated that the Azimio leader was the right man for the job due to his reputation as a zealous Pan-African who has consistently demonstrated a strong faith in Africa's possibilities.

The AUC chairperson elections will be held in February 2025 during an African Union Summit.

Odinga will face three candidates; Djibouti's Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Anil Kumarsingh Gayan from Mauritius, and Richard Randriamandrato from Madagascar.