Opposition leader Raila Odinga has reaffirmed that heading the African Union Commission (AUC), should he get the position, will not affect his roles in the country’s political arena.
Mr Odinga said that the distance from Kenya to Addis Ababa, where AUC is headquartered, is just a two-hour flight that will not hamper his political roles.
“People are talking a lot about my quest to occupy the AU Commission office in Addis Ababa. I am here to stay.
"I want you to know that I can travel from Bondo to Kisumu and pick a flight to Addis Ababa, and work from Monday to Friday, then be back in Kenya during the weekend to do other things,” said Mr Odinga.
The former prime minister is among the candidates angling for the top AU job, and he got a boost last month when the AU Foreign Ministers endorsed a plan to have the seat reserved for the East Africa region.
Mr Odinga will battle it out with Mr Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Djibouti Foreign Affairs Minister, and Somalia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam.
Mr Odinga spoke during the funeral of Ms Hellen Odero, the wife of Mr Odinge Odero in Yimbo West, Bondo Sub-County. Mr Odero was an aide of Mr Odinga’s father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Both Mr Jaramogi and Mr Odera are deceased.
“Let us register as ODM members and make the party strong. A party is the spear and the shield that will give us power as a people,” the Azimio la Umoja coalition and ODM party leader said.
“I want to encourage our people not to give up or be tired. We have come from far, and we shall get all that we need.”
He castigated a section of leaders, whom he did not name, saying they are enemies of devolution.
“Today we must understand that even this devolution has come a long way. When we told some leaders about devolved governance, they really opposed it. Today we have people working in our counties, unlike in the past when all graduates had to go to Nairobi in search of a living,” he said.
Siaya Governor James Orengo castigated ODM “rebels” who crossed over to the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance political ring ostensibly to bring development projects.
“We heard that some of our leaders went to seek development from the Kenya Kwanza government, the president visited and promised to construct the bridge (referring to Dho Goye bridge) within six months and to date, nothing has happened,” said Mr Orengo.
He said the constitution provides that all regions are entitled to get development projects, no matter their political affiliation and without begging from the government.
“If being closer to the government would bring development, then the bridge would have been complete. Today nothing has been done,” he said.
“To claim that being closer to the national government would bring development is killing devolution. Trying to bring some lawmakers who are elected on other party tickets to your side is killing multi-partyism. Delaying funds meant for the counties is killing devolution. We must all fight to guard devolution,” added Mr Orengo.
