Three factors that led to Raila's loss in the AUC chairmanship contest

President William Ruto Rt Hon Raila Odinga at AUC Headquarters shortly after the election. [Emmanuel Wanson]

There are many times when Kenya plays high geopolitical stakes, wins some and loses others. In the aftermath of defeat, blame shifting appears to prevail as it happened when Kenya failed to clinch the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship. It was not the first time that Kenya had sought that post but it was the first time it approached the issue as if it was domestic political campaigns.

The strategists, with much hallabaloo, overwhelmed themselves with expressions that displayed poorly anchored over confidence. Its effect was to psyche the public to believe the Kenyan candidate was winning. Besides chest-thumping, they made claims of having secured support across the continent, often after high-level photo-ops. Since the reality on the ground was different, the loss was surprising to many Kenyans. It should not have been.