On Monday, President William Samoei Ruto dispatched Defence CS Hon. Aden Duale to the Northern Frontier to state categorically that Kenya’s candidate for the AUC is the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga.

Duale’s comments, veiled thinly to reach Mogadishu in good time, had only one proposition: exit the race.

Soon after Odinga’s announcement, Federal Somalia’s PM Hamsa Barre announced that Somalia would front Fawzia Yusuf, a serving lawmaker and former foreign minister.

Whereas her entry brings nuisance to the race, it is up to Somalia to stand her down.

A day later, on Tuesday, pictures of the Head of State, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were posted online by the President and Mr. Odinga, informing the region of their Kisozi meeting in Uganda.

Some sections online, affiliated with the previous regime, recently made everyone almost believe President Ruto is unwanted in the region, with nearly all EAC countries at war with Kenya.

What they failed to take note of is that President Ruto chose to reset Kenya’s relationship with our neighbors to reflect Kenya’s needs, and not the needs of the previous administration’s elites and fatcats.

No country in this region can punch Kenya now and get away with it. And contrary to doomed predictions, President Ruto is asserting Kenya’s place as the anchor of stability in this region.

We have no time to play small.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is to make a state visit to Kenya, this week.