Just an hour after the debate, Raila’s detractors once again flooded social media channels to criticize his performance, describing it as dismal, uninspired, and of poor quality. They highlighted the allegedly superior performance of his chief opponent, Ali Yousouff Mahmoud of Djibouti, asserting that he is the only credible candidate capable of leading the African Union Commission
Many Kenyans on various social media platforms appear to harbor strong feelings against Raila Odinga’s candidature for the AU chairmanship, as evidenced by the intensity and nature of the criticisms directed at him ahead of last week’s debate at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa.
Political analysts agree that the level of animosity Mr Odinga is currently facing is far greater than what was observed during the previous general elections. In the weeks leading up to the debate, Kenyans from all walks of life, including senior political figures, took to social media platforms to denounce Raila’s candidacy, pleading with African leaders to refrain from voting for him in the upcoming February elections.
In a bold move, a senior politician revealed the telephone and email contacts of African presidents, allowing Kenyans to directly appeal to them to avoid supporting Raila in the elections. However, the authenticity of the shared information has not been verified.
By directly urging heads of state and governments to steer clear of Raila, it becomes clear that a substantial level of disdain exists for him among various groups within Kenya.
Just an hour after the debate, Raila’s detractors once again flooded social media channels to criticize his performance, describing it as dismal, uninspired, and of poor quality. They highlighted the allegedly superior performance of his chief opponent, Ali Yousouff Mahmoud of Djibouti, asserting that he is the only credible candidate capable of leading the African Union Commission.
The reasons behind the intense opposition to Raila’s candidacy in the upcoming May 2025 elections are multifaceted. Analysts suggest that a significant portion of his critics are from Generation Z, who feel betrayed by Raila’s decision to form a broad-based government with President William Ruto. Many in this cohort believed Raila was poised to disrupt the Kenya Kwanza administration, but his cooperation with Ruto thwarted their ambitions.
This betrayal, according to analysts, has left a bitter taste among Generation Z, who feel let down and are now communicating their discontent through coded messages aimed at Raila.
The opposition to Raila’s presidency is not confined to Generation Z alone. Numerous senior politicians, primarily from the Azimio coalition, share similar sentiments of bitterness. They view Raila’s decision to ally with Kenya Kwanza as a betrayal of trust, with many publicly disregarding his candidacy while others express their dissent through various social media platforms.
Despite the range of negative campaigning and criticism, analysts assert that no amount of public backlash will deter African presidents and heads of government from supporting Raila if they have already made their decision.
