The government’s decision to distance itself from a fundraising dinner organised by a lobby group in support of Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship has exposed the lack of coordination in the campaigns.
The move has put the activities of the lobby, Friends of Baba –Africa (Foba), founded by Mr Odinga’s nephew, Jaoko Oburu, in sharp focus.
According to Mr Oburu, Foba is led by former East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) MP Mumbi Ngaru as the global chair while Winnie Mandela, the President of Pan African Movement -Africa and The Diaspora is the executive director.
Concerns had been raised over a fundraising dinner that had been planned for Wednesday, September 18, to help mobilise resources for Mr Odinga’s campaigns, raising questions on the government’s commitment to fund the initiative.
When Nation .Africa reached out to the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Korir Sing’oei, who is also the head of the campaign secretariat, to establish whether they were part of the planned funds drive and if the government was still committed to finance the campaigns, he distanced the secretariat from it.
Dr Sing’oei then took to his X handle to dissociate the secretariat from the planned fundraising dinner, posting one of the invites that had been received by Nation .
“We disassociate the Secretariat of the Campaign of H.E. Raila Odinga from this fundraising effort,” the PS wrote on Wednesday last Week.
Former Kenyas ambassador to the United States Elkanah Odembo, who is also among the campaign strategists for Mr Odinga, also denied knowledge of the team behind the funds drive.
“Please call the number they’ve listed and check who they are and who authorised them,” Mr Odembo told Nation .
According to the invite for the event that was expected to take place at a luxurious Naiorbi Hotel, guests from Kenya and across Africa had been asked to attend “an evening with H.E Raila Odinga to fundraise in support of his AUC chair bid.”
“Join us on 18th September 2024 in Nairobi, as we unite with leaders and dignitaries from across the continent to help champion Africa’s future,” read the invite in part.
It went on to state: “Friends of Baba exclusively invites you for a fundraiser dinner with HE Raila Odinga. A night dedicated to supporting his visionary leadership as he embarks on the journey to becoming the next chair of the African Union Commission (AUC).”
The invite had two contacts listed as RSVP, including that of Ms Winnie Mandela and another which she disclosed belonged to Mr Oburu.
The second contact when reached, however, apparently belonged to a different person.
When contacted, Ms Mandela confirmed that Foba had planned the fundraiser but said she could not comment further on the matter as it was now above her.
“We are handling the situation and it's above me so I cannot comment on the matter further,” she told Nation on the phone.
Mr Oburu did not also deny knowledge of the funds drive, but chose to refer Nation to Ms Mumbi Ngaru, the Foba global chair.
“Hello ndugu. Kindly contact Hon. Mumbi Ngaru for information. Thanks and blessings,” Mr Oburu wrote.
On Monday, Ms Ngaru told Nation that the planned dinner had since been cancelled.
“I’m informed there is no dinner,” she told Nation.
When asked whether the dinner was canceled because of the position the secretariat led by Dr Sing’oei had taken she said; “50 percent of what material documents that I have gathered tells a different story.”
Even though Dr Sing’oei denied knowledge of the dinner and its organisers, both Mr Oburu and Ms Mandela attended Mr Odinga’s unveiling as Kenya’s candidate for the AUC post at State House Nairobi on August 27, a ceremony also attended by East African Heads of State.
The Foba team has on many occasions been hosted by Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs including Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and have also held meetings with Mr Odinga.
On July 2, 2024, Ms Mandela held a meeting with Burkina Faso's interim president Ibrahim Traoré in the country’s capital in her capacity as the President of Pan African Movement -Africa and The Diaspora.
It is, however, worth noting that Burkina Faso is among the six African nations that have violated the AU policy on unconstitutional changes in government and will therefore not participate in the February 2025 AUC elections.
Other countries are Sudan, Gabon, Niger, Mali and Guinea.
Mr Oburu is not new to the formation of lobby groups to champion for Mr Odinga’s campaigns whenever he eyes a position.
In the run up to the 2022 General Election, Mr Oburu founded the Youth for Handshake (Yotha) to spearhead Mr Odinga’s presidential campaigns.
Yotha had its headquarters at the posh Lavington Estate, an office funded by well-wishers but whose impact in the campaigns remained a matter for debate.
On many occasions, Mr Odinga’s daughter Winnie Odinga was accused of sabotaging the team, but her allies said she was right because it was “an amorphous group formed with no clear agenda.”
Many well-wishers were left licking their wounds after Mr Odinga failed to clinch the presidency after losing the election to President William Ruto.
