The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Allies of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga have warned that they may advocate for Kenya’s withdrawal from the African Union after his defeat in the election for the chairperson of the African Union Commission.
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Raila, who was Kenya’s candidate for the position, lost to Djibouti’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mahmoud Youssouf, who won after securing 33 votes in the seventh round of voting.
Raila competed against Youssouf and Richard Randriamandrato, the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Madagascar.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma announced that he would petition for the East African Community (EAC) to withdraw from the African Union. The EAC is a regional body of eight countries, including Kenya, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi suggested that Kenya should reconsider its financial contributions to the AU. He recommended that Kenya should limit its financial commitments in the short term, and in the long term, consider leaving the organization.
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina, while thanking President William Ruto for his support of Raila, proposed that the African Union should be divided into two parts.
The AUC chairperson is elected by the member states, with countries under military rule excluded from voting. A candidate needs to secure a two-thirds majority of the votes cast to win the position, which is held for a four-year term, renewable once. The seat rotates among the five regions, with the Eastern region eligible to present a candidate this time, while the Northern region presented a deputy chairperson.
During the 38th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 49 heads of state participated in the voting, and the winner needed 33 votes to secure the position.
