Senator Richard Onyonka of Kisii has praised President William Ruto for supporting Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio La Umoja Coalition, in his bid to become chairman of the Africa Union Commission (AUC), saying that it is a "good political move" that demonstrates "statesmanship."
"I want to give President William Ruto the credit he deserves. This is what statesmanship is all about. That in politics it is not that the winner always takes it all. There are times when you let it go, and other times you hold on to it. This is a good move politically," stated Onyonka.
On Tuesday, on Citizen TV's Daybreak, the Senator praised President Ruto for his support of Raila and stated that Kenya will hold the position should Raila win the election.
"I encourage President Ruto for coming out and support Raila because at this point this position is not Raila's, it is Kenya's position. It will be a historical position if Raila ends up getting it," asserted the Senator.
Onyonka urged Kenyan lawmakers to back Raila, saying that there are occasions when leaders must band together to advance issues that affect the nation's interests.
"The Kenyan political class has to realise that we cannot be hating each other all the time. We always forget that Ruto, Raila, Musalia, and Wetangula have been together almost 30 years, and at some point, there are instances where they pull themselves together to do things for the interest of the country," stated the Senator.
In addition, Onyonka stated that, given the support Raila has received from the region, he expects him to prioritize the East African continent once appointed to the AUC post.
"I hope that after Raila gets settled in, he looks first at the East African region, which has been a great support to him," Onyonka said.
The Senator's remarks follow a meeting between President William Ruto and Raila Odinga on Monday to talk about Raila's candidacy for the AUC chairmanship at the residence of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kisozi.
