Raila Odinga Says He Was Surprised William Ruto Accepted to Support His AU Bid: "I Was Expecting No"

 

Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga 

Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga has stated that he did not expect the government to support his African Union Commission(AUC) chairperson bid. Raila Odinga said he was surprised when the government pledged to support his AU bid.  During a press briefing alongside Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Wednesday, June 5, the ODM leader dismissed assertions that he was being supported by the government to settle local politics.  Raila explained that he decided to vie before seeking government support as required by the AU.The veteran politician said he's still unsure why President William Ruto's government decided to support him. "I made a decision myself that I want to offer myself to serve the continent. As you know you cannot run for this position without being sponsored by your country; your candidature is not valid until you country has said yes. So I was myself pleasantly surprised when the government said they would support me. I was expecting them to say No. I don't know the reason why they said yes that is their own decision not mine," he said. Subscribe to watch new videos Why did government support Raila? In a quick retort, Mudavadi stated that the government chose to back Raila's bid since he's the most suited for the job. Mudavadi pointed out that the former premier had the experience needed to lead the AU. "We said yes because Raila is competent. We're at Kenyan and African interests. So this is not about our local issues. We want the fourth estate to help us project the national interest of Kenya because it would be a first for Kenya and Raila Amollo Odinga has got the requisite experience," Musalia said. Why Kenya Kwanza leaders are unhappy with Raila Meanwhile, Raila's unexpected criticism of Ruto's administration attracted responses from Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders and supporters. Some asked the president to reconsider supporting the former prime minister in the position of African Union Commission chairmanship. 

by  Didacus Malowa