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{
    "id": 1518991,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1518991/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 200,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Osotsi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13588,
        "legal_name": "Osotsi Godfrey Otieno",
        "slug": "osotsi-godfrey-otieno"
    },
    "content": "Madam Temporary Speaker, that has always been his stand. We also want to thank the country Kenya for the support that they extended to Hon. Raila Odinga in his campaign. I want to state very clearly here that Hon. Raila was not persuaded by anyone to vie for the position of AUC Chairperson. Madam Temporary Speaker, I had the privilege to accompany Hon. Raila in February, 2023 at the height when we were agitating for several things, including high prices and all that. I travelled with him to Abuja, Nigeria, and by then the conversation had already started on the issue of the AU. I want to make it very clear that it was not at the instigation of anyone. It was his own decision to vie, and because he belongs to the country Kenya, we want to thank the leadership of the country for agreeing to support him as a country. Raila Odinga is the candidate that Africa needed at this point.; a candidate or an AUC Chairperson who would have made a huge contribution, especially on matters of infrastructure, which he has a huge passion for, and on matters of unity, and empowerment of African youth who comprise over 50 per cent of the population of Africa. The elections have come and gone, and we know who won the elections. Let us discuss, engage on the results, but we must engage with caution. I have seen people posting names of countries and how they voted. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is so difficult to know how countries voted, because it is secret ballot. I do not know where they are getting that information. When you say so-and-so did not vote for us, it has a risk of getting us into a bigger diplomatic mess. I want to request those who are telling us how countries voted to go slow on that because we are going to get deeper into diplomatic crisis. I know some people have been saying Francophone countries never voted for us. However, if you look at other elections that happened, before the election of AUC Chair, we had the election of the permanent representative Committees of the AU. If you look at these four slots of commissioners that were elected, they were all from the Anglophone countries. We had two people from West Africa, that is, Nigeria and Ghana, and two people from Southern Africa, South Africa and Eswatini. They are all Anglophone countries. So, let us not speculate too much on who voted for who because we do not have that information. We have seen the reactions and I want to castigate those Members who said here that one of the reasons why we lost is because so many Kenyans went to Addis Ababa. I am one of the people who went to Addis Ababa. I paid for myself. I paid for my flight, accommodation and everything else. I know many other people, especially from the ODM Party, some even travelled by bus through Moyale. The reason why they went there is because of the love for Baba . Let no one start a narrative here that people are paid for to go and witness the election of AUC. That is not true. I know there are those who are celebrating. They have their own reasons to celebrate. They have the freedom to make a decision on which way to celebrate and on which way to go. I just wish that as Kenyans, we come together whenever we go on the international scene. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}