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Kenya's Raila Odinga loses election again
16 Feb 2025 at 16:44hrs | Views
Kenyan political heavyweight Raila Odinga's streak of electoral misfortunes continued yesterday as he lost the race for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairpersonship to Djibouti's Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf. After a grueling seven rounds of voting, Youssouf secured victory with 33 votes, ushering in a shift in leadership at the continental body.
Odinga's defeat echoes a similar event on January 30, 2017, when Kenya's Amina Mohamed lost the AUC chairmanship to Chad's Moussa Faki in another tightly contested seven-round vote. Faki had taken over from South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and now, after eight years, the AU has again witnessed a drawn-out election process to determine its next leader.
The race saw Odinga face off against Youssouf and Madagascar's Richard Randriamandrato. Initially, Odinga appeared to have a strong start, leading in the first round with 20 votes, while Youssouf followed closely with 18 and Randriamandrato trailed with 10. In the second round, Odinga slightly widened his lead with 22 votes, raising hopes for a Kenyan victory, while Youssouf garnered 19, and Randriamandrato dropped to seven.
However, momentum shifted in the third round as Youssouf overtook Odinga, securing 23 votes against Odinga's 20. Randriamandrato continued to lose ground with only five votes, while one country abstained. By the fourth round, Youssouf extended his lead to 25 votes against Odinga's 21, eliminating Randriamandrato from the contest.
Youssouf's dominance grew in subsequent rounds. In the fifth round, he secured 26 votes to Odinga's 21, and by the sixth round, the gap widened further, with Youssouf maintaining 26 votes while Odinga fell to 22. Seeing no path to victory, Odinga withdrew from the race before the final round. In the decisive seventh round, Youssouf claimed the chairmanship with 33 votes, marking a historic victory for Djibouti.
For Odinga, this loss adds to a long history of electoral defeats. The former Kenyan Prime Minister has run for the presidency five times in his home country, each time alleging electoral malpractices. His latest setback at the AU reaffirms his struggle to secure top leadership positions, both domestically and on the continental stage.
Odinga's defeat echoes a similar event on January 30, 2017, when Kenya's Amina Mohamed lost the AUC chairmanship to Chad's Moussa Faki in another tightly contested seven-round vote. Faki had taken over from South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and now, after eight years, the AU has again witnessed a drawn-out election process to determine its next leader.
The race saw Odinga face off against Youssouf and Madagascar's Richard Randriamandrato. Initially, Odinga appeared to have a strong start, leading in the first round with 20 votes, while Youssouf followed closely with 18 and Randriamandrato trailed with 10. In the second round, Odinga slightly widened his lead with 22 votes, raising hopes for a Kenyan victory, while Youssouf garnered 19, and Randriamandrato dropped to seven.
Youssouf's dominance grew in subsequent rounds. In the fifth round, he secured 26 votes to Odinga's 21, and by the sixth round, the gap widened further, with Youssouf maintaining 26 votes while Odinga fell to 22. Seeing no path to victory, Odinga withdrew from the race before the final round. In the decisive seventh round, Youssouf claimed the chairmanship with 33 votes, marking a historic victory for Djibouti.
For Odinga, this loss adds to a long history of electoral defeats. The former Kenyan Prime Minister has run for the presidency five times in his home country, each time alleging electoral malpractices. His latest setback at the AU reaffirms his struggle to secure top leadership positions, both domestically and on the continental stage.
Source - online
