A top-ranking member of President William Ruto’s government has claimed opposition leader Raila Odinga’s African Union role that ended this week could have cost the Kenyan taxpayer at least Sh2 billion.
But Mr Odinga’s office has dismissed the claims, saying no taxpayer’s money was used to finance his activities as the AU’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development.
Mr Odinga was on October 20, 2018, appointed to the high-profile role with the backing of then President Uhuru Kenyatta, placing him at the centre of Africa’s bid to ensure the completion of its transnational highway corridors and realise its dream of a continental high-speed train, among other plans.
Details of the funding and the workings of the office had largely remained under wraps until Wednesday’s move by the AU to end the contract—in what diplomatic sources said was a “polite termination” due to Mr Odinga’s recent political activities—but what the opposition chief said was due to “other pressing matters.”
Yesterday, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa stirred the debate with a claim that the government had spent Sh600 million annually to run Mr Odinga’s AU role. This, he said, was money remitted by Kenya through the continental body that has its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mr Ichung’wa, who was the House’s Budget and Appropriations Committee chairman when the post was created before he was kicked out, said Kenyan taxpayers had been footing the bills for Mr Odinga’s AU role, in his two offices in Nairobi and Addis Ababa.
“The Kenyan taxpayers have been paying for his allowances, travel, office and perks,” Mr Ichung’wa said.
The disbursements, Mr Ichung’wa said, had been released up to the end of this financial year ending in June. “It is after it was clear that this government had no interest in further remitting money for an office that was not adding value that this was stopped. But this year’s money, they had already made sure it had been disbursed,” said the National Assembly Majority Leader.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa. Mr Ichung’wa has claimed that the government had spent Sh600 million annually to run Mr Raila Odinga’s AU role. This, he said, was money remitted by Kenya through the continental body that has its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
But Mr Odinga’s office, through his spokesperson Dennis Onyango, said the former Prime Minister’s role was not funded by taxpayers.
“Mr Odinga never had an AU office and staff in Nairobi. He was using his private office at Capitol Hill,” Mr Onyango told the Saturday Nation .
He said while in Addis Ababa, Mr Odinga had the luxury to use their facilities but had no specific office. “He was allowed to use the AU office and their staff every time he was in Addis Ababa.”
An Auditor General’s report tabled in Parliament showed Kenya paid Sh4.9 billion in the year to June 2021 in subscriptions to the African Union and other international organisations, highlighting the burden taxpayers shoulder to maintain the country’s membership of various global bodies.
The parliamentary report shows that in the financial year to June 2021, Kenya sent two tranches—Sh217 million, and another Sh655 million—to the AU. There were, however, no specific details of what the money was for and if indeed this is the budget Mr Ichung’wa claims was used by the AU to facilitate Mr Odinga’s role.
Former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani yesterday did not respond to Saturday Nation ’s call and text message on whether the exchequer was taking care of all Mr Odinga’s expenses during his tenure at the AU and the amount it allocated annually.
The Public Finance Management (AU and Other International Organisations Subscription Fund) Regulations 2017 established the African Union and Other International Organisations Subscription Fund through which Kenya’s contribution to the AU and other international organisations across all government agencies was to be paid.
Democratic Republic of the Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the 35th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union last year.
Photo credit: Pool
Kenya, in 2020/21, set aside Sh7.21 billion under the AU and Other International Organisations Subscription Fund but did not spend Sh2.3 billion as it received invoices of only Sh4.9 billion in that period. The Sh4.9 billion was a decrease from the Sh6.6 billion in 2019/20.
Whether Mr Odinga’s AU office and role were funded by taxpayers was a subject of debate in 2019 when the National Treasury mooted stopping his retirement perks over concern that he was earning double perks.
The perks cited were medical insurance, fuel allowance, fully furnished offices and 17 workers, including chefs, security, accountants, secretaries and personal assistants, all hired at taxpayers’ expense. In addition to these, the AU was also providing the opposition chief with medical cover, staff and cars.
Yesterday, at a function attended by President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said Mr Odinga’s role was terminated because of his anti-government rallies and position that he does not recognise Dr Ruto as Kenya’s duly-elected president.
“Raila had a big job at the AU. He left that job to go and demonstrate and now he has been fired. He has been on the streets for 20 years. Now, he has lost his job because he has not been working; he has only been demonstrating. And we want to tell them: Do not threaten the government. You lost the elections. Accept it,” Mr Gachagua said in Mombasa.
But while controversy clouded the end of his AU role and how it was funded, Mr Odinga yesterday maintained his tough stance against the government and demanded an audit of the August 2022 polls, including opening the server to determine the winner.
Mr Odinga accused Dr Ruto of lying that the server had been opened throughout the process of voting, ballot counting, declaration of results, and Supreme Court petition to determine the validity of the win. He wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to come clean on the matter.
“It was a plain, disgusting and horrifying lie, just like the many others he has told and continues to tell the country. Ruto claimed that IEBC servers were open during the identification of voters, posting of results, tallying of votes, announcing of results and during the hearing of the presidential election petition. How shameless can a leader be? How disrespectful can a leader be of citizens!” said Mr Odinga in an address to the media at a Nairobi hotel.
Mr Odinga said despite a Supreme Court order to the IEBC to open the server, the agency failed to honour the orders.
The Azimio leader pointed out that it is the coalition, through a letter dated August 31, 2022, that brought to the attention of the Supreme Court that Smartmatic International Holding B.V. wrote to the electoral commission saying it would not comply with the court order as the move would infringe their property rights.
Azimio leader Raila Odinga addresses his supporters at Jeevanjee Gardens in Nairobi on February 22, 2023. SILA KIPLAGAT I NATION
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
“Kenyans remember how our judges of the Supreme Court watched helplessly as their orders were treated with contempt. Instead of enforcing their orders, they opted to lie to Kenyans, as Mr Ruto is doing now, that access had been granted,” he said.
Mr Odinga faulted the IEBC for not responding to questions related to its integrity on how it conducted the August polls in the wake of the revelations made by a whistleblower.
He terms it questionable that anytime the IEBC is mentioned, it is President Ruto who comes to its defence, claiming it is an indication of an “unholy alliance” between the electoral commission and the Head of State. “The tragedy of this situation does not end there. The IEBC, which should be answering these queries, is silent. Instead, it has retained Mr Ruto as their patron and public relations manager.”
Mr Odinga said the only way to restore confidence in the electoral agency and give legitimacy to the leadership that emerged from that election, is to open the server for an audit by an independent firm.
But Dr Ruto while speaking in Kitui on Thursday—comments he repeated in Mombasa yesterday—ruled out the opening of the IEBC server, saying the election was transparent.
“The servers were open when we went to the polls, when the votes were being counted and when the final tally was being announced and even when we went to court,” he said.
