The People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has blamed President William Ruto for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's failed AUC Chairmanship bid.
Speaking during a radio interview on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, Karua said the Head of State's 'bad reputation' is partly to blame for the loss, as Odinga enjoyed overwhelming support across Africa.
“Raila had significant support, but the one who accompanied him, President Ruto, has a bad reputation across Africa.
"Ruto's involvement in internal conflicts in other countries played a part,” said Karua.
On Monday, February 24, while speaking at State House Mombasa, Raila thanked President William Ruto and other legislators for the immense support he received before the elections.
“Now I'm delighted to be back home. I feel very happy and delighted to be back in Kenya. I want to thank everybody—the President, the Deputy, the ministers and leaders, and Kenyans generally—who travelled with us on this journey,” Odinga said.
While addressing the loss for the first time, Raila refuted claims that the government spent Ksh13 billion on his campaigns in the lead-up to the AUC elections.
"I have seen somebody talking about Ksh13 billion that was spent on the campaign. I don't know which world these guys live in and whether they know what a billion means," he said.
Odinga further clarified that the government only intervened to provide transport to and from the countries which he toured.
"Nothing can be further from the truth, no such amount was spent. The government only came through with transport to and from the countries we visited, some countries were generous enough to provide accommodation for us."
Ruto, on his part, heaped praises on Odinga, describing him as a 'fantastic candidate'.
“I have supported many people in the past, but we had a fantastic candidate. He was present and did what needed to be done. Raila was available for all his appointments to different countries and to canvas his candidature.
“It is a proud moment for us to receive you back home and to engage with you as we drive the development of our country, engage in nation-building and broaden and widen our engagement towards achieving equity, prosperity and transformation,” he said.
