NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has finally broken his silence after losing the race for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship.
Appearing alongside President William Ruto at State House Mombasa on February 24, Raila took a moment to address claims that the Kenyan government spent a staggering Sh13 billion on his campaign.
His response? A mix of disbelief and dismissal.
“Do They Even Know What a Billion Is?”
Raila wasted no time in shutting down the widely circulated allegations, originally made by Juja Member of Parliament George Koimburi.
The former Prime Minister ridiculed the claim, questioning whether those spreading the figures even understood the scale of such an amount.
“I have seen somebody talking about Sh13 billion that was spent on the campaign. I don’t know which world these guys live in and whether they know what a billion means,” he quipped.
According to Raila, the government’s role in his campaign was minimal, limited to transport arrangements for his diplomatic visits.
“We only used money necessary to facilitate the campaigns,” Raila Odinga refutes claims Ksh.13 billion was used for his AUC bid
“Nothing can be further from the truth,” he stated. “The government only came through with transport to and from the countries we visited. Some nations were generous enough to provide accommodation for us.”
Despite the setback, Raila maintained an optimistic tone, describing his return to Kenya as a homecoming celebration.
He took the opportunity to express gratitude to the leaders who supported his candidacy.
“Now I’m delighted to be back home,” he said. “I feel very happy and delighted to be back in Kenya. I want to thank everybody—the President, the Deputy President, the ministers, and all Kenyans who walked this journey with us.”
With his AU bid now behind him, speculation is mounting over Raila’s next political move.
I have seen somebody talking about Ksh 13 billion spent on Raila’s AUC campaign. We were not living luxuriously, and we ate whatever was provided to us wherever we went – Raila Odinga. x.com/Nairobi_Leo/st…
While he remained tight-lipped about his plans, he assured Kenyans that an announcement would come soon.
“I’m back home. I will meet with my friends and supporters, consult widely, and in due course, we will announce our way forward,” he stated. “For today, we are here to accompany the President and to thank Kenyans for their support.”
Raila initially led the first round of AU elections with 20 votes, but his support dwindled as the rounds progressed.
He was eliminated in the sixth round, garnering 22 votes against Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who secured 26 votes.
In the seventh round, Youssouf clinched victory with 33 votes, surpassing the required two-thirds majority to secure the chairmanship.
Now back in Kenya, all eyes are on Raila as the country awaits his next political move. Will he shift gears or jump right back into the national spotlight? The wait begins.
