Raila arrives in the UK on a one-week trip
Azimio la Umoja presidential hopeful Raila Odinga has taken a break from his campaigns, flying to the United Kingdom (UK) last evening for a one-week visit.
Mr Odinga will address the international community at the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Royal Institute of International Affairs or Chatham House.
This comes barely a week after Deputy President William Ruto concluded his tour of the country, where he also spoke at Chatham House after his visit to the United States.
The ODM leader was accompanied to the UK by several leaders including governors Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, former Head of Public Service Sally Kosgey and Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli, said Mr Odinga’s spokesperson Dennis Onyango in a statement on Monday.
Azimio la Umoja presidential hopeful Raila Odinga (second right) with former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth (left), Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK (right), when he arrived in London. Mr Odinga took a one-week break from his campaigns to visit the UK.
“At the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr Odinga will speak on ‘The road to peaceful elections in Kenya’, while his address at Chatham House will be on ‘Kenya’s 2022 elections: priorities for unity and policy change,” Mr Onyango said.
Both events, he noted, will take place respectively on the morning and afternoon of Wednesday, March 16.
“At the two events, Mr Odinga will share his vision for Kenya and Africa in an increasingly uncertain world, and will reflect on the political goal of unity presented by the Azimio la Umoja coalition movement,” he said.
Mr Odinga is also scheduled to hold other meetings with different leaders and groups.
Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign spokesperson Prof Makau Mutua said he will address contemporary challenges facing Kenya and Africa and offer his thoughts on how to tackle them.
“Mr Odinga is a problem solver who has thought deeply about what ails Kenya and Africa and what’s needed to harvest their vast potential for our people,” Prof Mutua told Nation.
“He’s an international statesman and a leading pan-Africanist who for decades has been a champion for democracy and development.”
Unlike DP Ruto, he said, Mr Odinga doesn’t whine about issues but offers solutions.
The ODM leader is also expected to meet the influential Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
Dr Ruto also held a meeting with the cleric on his tour of the UK last Week.
“[It was] good to meet William Ruto this afternoon, and looking forward to seeing Raila Odinga next week (this week). [I’m] praying for peaceful, open, and credible elections on 9th August,” the cleric said on Twitter.
