ODM leader gets high-profile reception in UK as he begins tour
By Kiplangat Jeremiah, March 15, 2022Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga was accorded a high-profile reception as he arrived in London for a busy week that will culminate in a talk on Kenya’s August elections.
Raila, who was received by Kenya’s High Commissioner to the UK Manoah Esipisu yesterday morning, will meet UK Minister of Armed Forces James Heappey today.
It will be Heappey’s second meeting with a senior Kenyan politician after hosting Deputy President William Ruto a week ago.
The UK possesses a serious interest in who becomes the country’s next commander-in-chief of the armed forces as Kenya is host to the British Army Training Unit based in Nanyuki.
It is a training base for hundreds of soldiers from the country’s former colony. This could inform Heappey’s meeting with Kenya’s two leading presidential aspirants in the last week.
“The UK’s strategic partnership with Kenya is enormously important-especially as we confront our shared security concerns in East Africa,” the minister said after meeting Ruto.
Raila’s spokesman Dennis Onyango yesterday said the Azimio candidate will also address the international community at the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House on Wednesday morning.
Raila will also speak at Chatham House tomorrow afternoon. His talk will be on “Kenya’s 2022 elections: Priorities for unity and policy change.”
“At the two events, Raila will share his vision for Kenya and Africa in an increasingly uncertain world, and will reflect on the political goal of unity presented by the Azimio la Umoja coalition movement,” Onyango added.
Discounted claims
Chatham House is a global think-tank known for hosting prominent leaders to give talks on topical issues relevant to their countries.
“At this event, Raila will share his vision for Kenya and Africa in an increasingly uncertain world, and will reflect on the political goal of unity presented by his Azimio la Umoja coalition movement,” Chatham said on its website,” the organisers said.
Raila is accompanied by Cotu boss Francis Atwoli, Peter Kenneth (former Gatanga MP), Governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Junet Mohammed (Suna East MP) and Dr Sally Kosgey (former Cabinet minister).