Raila Odinga.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has dismissed reports that the government spent a whooping Sh13 billion on the Africa Union Commission (AUC) campaigns.
Speaking on Monday At State House Mombasa, Raila stated that his team did not indulge in luxury and at one point had to rely on the generosity of the host nations for accommodation.
“I have seen billions being quoted; somebody is talking about Ksh 13 billion spent on the Raila campaign. I don’t know which world those people live in and whether they know what a billion means.
“The money that was spent was necessary; just to hire transport for traveling around, and we were not living luxuriously. We were eating whatever was given to us wherever we went, and other countries were very generous to provide accommodation for us,” Raila stated.
At the same time, Raila thanked the Kenyan government for supporting his campaign for the chairmanship of the AUC.
He mentioned that President William Ruto did not only support his candidature in words but also in deeds.
Odinga went on to assert that all was not lost as he was back in his home country to chart a new course with his allies.
“We are available to help the continent of Africa, but most importantly we are also available for Kenya. I am back home, I am going to meet my friends… my supporters, and I am going to consult widely. In due course we are going to announce a way forward. I just want to say watch this space I will be talking again,” Raila stated.
His clarification comes days after Juja MP George Koimburi accused the government of misusing public funds while lobbying for Raila’s candidacy.
The UDA MP alleged that the government spent over 13 billion for Raila’s AUC bid.
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