Opposition leader Raila Odinga has promised his  ODM supporters that he will not abandon his party and  the projects they had embarked on with his supporters despite his candidacy as the Chairperson of the African Union.

Speaking in Kisii County on ThursdayFebruary 29, during the opening of the Marani Vegetable Aggregation and Marketing Centre, Raila said that his work at the African Union will not affect his leadership and political work in  Kenya.

“I am not going anywhere, Baba is with you. Addis Ababa is just a 2-hour flight away. If you need me any other time I will still be available. I might even suspend duties to meet the needs of Kenyans,” Raila said.

Hon. Odinga has also cleared the air about his meeting with Museveni and Ruto, which raised concerns  among Kenyans.

“I visited President Museveni so as to ask him for his vote during the AU elections. President Ruto was also visiting and I took the chance of asking for his vote, which he gladly accepted,” the former prime minister said

Raila also urged the ODM party  members to stay loyal to the party and avoid moving from one party to another ,

“We are setting a rule which is still in process and will be soon made a law, that if any candidate wants to change his/her party then they should first of all resign ,hand in the party ticket and go to back to the ballot.”

The chairperson of the African Union Commission is elected by the Assembly of Heads of States and Government for a 4-year renewable term .

This election rotates the continent’s five regions .A candidate must  be selected by consensus or at least two thirds majority vote by member states.  The Chairperson is expected to complete the term without interruption ,hence countries with impending election may be ineligible.

“I will be available in the future if you need me,” Raila Odinga tells Kenyans pic.twitter.com/dO0ckU9UlL

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 29, 2024