Kaluma vows to petition EAC to quit the AU over ‘colonial bias’ » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16—Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has threatened to petition for the East African Community (EAC) to withdraw from the African Union (AU) following Kenya’s defeat in the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship elections.
Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, lost to Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who secured 33 votes in the decisive seventh round of voting. The outcome has ignited debate over regional politics within the AU.
In a strongly worded statement, Kaluma criticized what he described as deep-rooted regional and colonial biases in the AU’s leadership selection process.
He argued that Odinga lost because member states prioritize regional and historical ties over merit, vision, and capability.
“African Heads of State have shown that they care more about regional blocs and colonial history than about vision, knowledge, experience, and capacity in the AUC chairperson’s role,” Kaluma said.
The legislator accused Northern Africa of dominating the AUC chairmanship, not due to superior candidates but because of regional considerations based on religion, culture, and language.
“Northern Africa has produced nearly all AUC chairpersons except one. This is not because the North has better candidates, but because regional interests in religion, culture, and language take precedence over Africa’s collective needs,” he added.
Kaluma urged regions consistently sidelined in AU leadership to reconsider their participation in the organization’s affairs.
“It’s time for the excluded regions to reassess their role in the AU,” he said.
The MP also praised Raila Odinga for running an “issue-based” campaign focused on African unity, peace, and prosperity. However, he lamented that such a vision was insufficient in the current AU political landscape.
“Raila Odinga led an outstanding campaign centered on Africa’s progress. Unfortunately, in the current AU structure, this was not enough,” Kaluma stated.