By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Azimio spokesperson has sensationally claimed that several senior politicians are opposed to the idea of opposition leader vying for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.
While Mutua did not specifically name on which side the said politicians are in, he noted that they fear Raila’s exit will have a negative effect on them.
According to the scholar, some of the leaders against the former Prime Minister’s AUC bid depend on him for political survival.
“Senior politicians who are OPPOSING @RailaOdinga in his bid for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission are self-serving hypocrites and leeches,” Mutua said on Sunday.
“They rant and contort not because they care about him or Kenyans but because they are deathly afraid of being politically orphaned,” he added.
Makau Mutua’s statement come barely a day after Raila launched a fresh attack against President William Ruto and his administration.
The ODM leader has kept off local politics since he announced his AUC bid, which President William Ruto is supporting.
His latest attack caught many by surprise given the dalliance the two have been enjoying.
Ruto has been leading campaigns to drum up support for Raila and latest outburst saw his allies issue warning to the opposition leader.
But according to Makau Mutua, Raila is being held hostage by a select few political leaders.
He has challenged them to let the veteran politician go and lead Africa – as he’s the best man for the job.
“Most of them can’t stand upright or call a Kamukunji without him, nor can they be elected without using his name and coattails. In fact, their political careers are either in rigor mortis, or in the critical stages of death,” Mutua said.
“Stop the nonsense and let Baba go and lead Africa at the peak of the African Union. He’s the best man for the job. Remember, no Kenyan has ever held such a hallowed international position,” he added.
Makau Mutua insists that the country and Africa at large will benefit from Raila if he succeeds to be the African Union Commission chairman.
There has been fears that Raila’s success at the AUC bid will be his exit from local politics.
Already there is a silent infight within ODM amongst leaders eyeing the party leader’s post.
However, Raila has on numerous occasions insisted that his bid for the continental post will not have any effect on his involvement in local politics.