Kenya must limit finacial contributions to the AU: Atandi » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16—Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi has called for a reassessment of Kenya’s financial commitments to the African Union (AU) following Kenya’s loss to Djibouti in the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship race.
Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf won the seat by securing 33 votes—the required two-thirds majority—in the seventh round of voting on Saturday.
Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga, led during the early stages but was eliminated in the sixth round.
This defeat marked Kenya’s second failed bid for the AUC chairmanship, following Amina Mohamed’s loss to Chad’s Moussa Faki in 2017.
The outcome has sparked mixed reactions from Kenyan leaders with Atandi suggesting that Kenya should reduce its financial support to the AU and even consider leaving the 55-member bloc.
“In the short run, Kenya must now limit its financial commitments to the AU, and in the long run, exit,” Atandi stated.
Reacting to the election’s outcome, Narok County Senator Ledama Ole Kina called for a radical restructuring of the AU to address what he sees as systemic flaws in the leadership selection process.
“We must think of the future of Africa. Why not divide the African Union into two? Why not?” he questioned.
EAC exit
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma also threatened to petition for the East African Community (EAC) to withdraw from the AU.
In a strongly worded statement, Kaluma criticized the election process, accusing African heads of state of prioritizing regional alliances and colonial ties over merit, vision, and leadership capacity.
“African Heads of State care more about regional blocs and colonial history than about vision, knowledge, experience, and capacity to move Africa forward,” Kaluma said.
He argued that Northern Africa’s dominance of the AUC chairmanship reflects regional interests rather than the quality of candidates.
“Northern Africa has produced all AUC chairpersons except one—not because they present better candidates, but because their regional interests in religion, culture, and language outweigh Africa’s collective needs,” he added.
Kaluma urged regions consistently excluded from 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.