National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula has drummed up support for Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga's bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.
Addressing a crowd during the opening of an IT hub at Mathanga Seminary in Bungoma County on Saturday, March 2, 2024, Wetangula expressed that the state was fully backing the opposition leader to secure the prestigious position since he (Raila) has all it takes to lead the continent.
Wetangula noted that Raila's bid was a state project and that the government would campaign for the opposition leader across the continent to ensure he won the position.
"Serikali tayari imesema, na rais wa nchi William Ruto amesema tumepeleka mheshimiwa Raila kama candidate wetu, zingine zote tutafanya, mtu kama papa wa Roma hapa nikienda every African country, the president ni mtu tunajuana, speaker ni mtu tunajuana, Vice President ni mtu tunajuana. Pande zote we are going to put on our jogging shoes to make sure we rotate around Africa to campaign for Raila to make sure he will be the next chairman of the African Union," he said.
Loosely translates to:
"The government has already decided that we are fronting Raila Odinga as our candidate, we will campaign for him across the continent, and I will ensure I drum support for Raila whenever I visit any African country."
The speaker also clarified that the government's support of Raila was not a malicious plot to kick him out of Kenyan politics. He emphasised that the state supported the opposition leader because he possessed great leadership skills and could steer the continent in the right direction.
"Let's make it very clear we are not supporting Raila to be the next AU chair because we want to exit him from Kenya, we are taking him because he is capable of being the chairman of the African Union, just as e stated, he is happy to get the job and deliver his duties and we shall help him accomplish the goal," Wetangula added.
