No Blame Theories, Ruto did everything possible to support my AUC bid – Raila
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has expressed gratitude for the support he received from the government of Kenya in his bid to become chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) during the just concluded elections.
Following the announcement that Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf won the closely contested poll in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Raila particularly singled-out the backing he received from President William Ruto as instrumental in his campaign.
He asserts that he could not have asked for better support given the extensive assistance the head of state mobilized for him.
“President William Ruto did everything possible to make my campaign a success. He gave me all the logistical support that enabled me to travel all the length and breadth of the continent and made appointments for me to meet leaders across the continent,” he stated.
Raila commended Ruto for running a robust campaign, to the extent that he was confident of victory. He maintained that his defeat should not be attributed to the campaign’s execution and assured Kenyans that they would soon learn more about what transpired.
“We were sure were going to win but other factors came into play and they are going to come out soon,” he said.
Despite the desire of some to assign blame for his failure to secure the AUC seat, the ODM leader firmly believes Ruto supported him wholeheartedly and went out of his way to help him succeed. He insists that the factors influencing the election results were beyond his control.
“There is going to be a lot of blame games. People will say Baba did not do as much as expected or it’s because Baba is now tired because he is too old. Others will say President Ruto just wanted to humiliate Baba and that he was not genuine in saying he was supporting him, and so forth,” he said amid cheers from Kenyans gathered at his hotel in Addis Ababa last night.
“I made a decision myself and announced that I wanted to run for the position of AUC chairperson. President Ruto only came and say he was going to support me when I had already made a decision and he genuinely supported me,” he remarked.
Even after his unsuccessful campaign, Raila asserts he has no regrets and remains ready to serve the nation or continent in other capacities.
“I stated that I was prepared for any outcome. I am not regretting. I am walking with my head tall. There will be another time and there are many other things that are available for us to do,” he concluded.
