By Patricia Mollyne Mataga
Controversial lawyer Miguna Miguna has dismissed opposition leader Raila Odinga’s claim that he was surprised at the government’s support for his bid to be the next African Union Commission chairperson.
Miguna argues that Raila’s candidacy for the AUC job was a result of a political deal he sealed with President Wiliam Ruto.
According to the former aide of the ODM leader, the deal was signed in April 2024.
In a post on his X handle, moments after Raila’s joint state address with Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavavi, the Canadian-based barrister said no individual can vie for the AUC job without the endorsement of their government.
He argued that this is a fact Raila clearly knew before he announced his bid for the job.
In addition, Miguna Miguna claimed the agreement was yet another betrayal of Raila to his people.
“@RailaOdinga claims that he “was surprised by the Kenya Kwanza support for his candidacy for the AUC.” How so when AUC candidates are NOMINATED and SUBMITTED by member states?” he asked in part of the post. Raila’s AUC candidacy is a deal he signed with President @WilliamsRuto in April 2023. He sold his supporters who were murdered all over the country by security agents during maandamanos he had organized as choreographed acts of extortion, just like he has sold Kenyans since 1982,” he added.
Raila during the address at Mudavadi’s office in Nairobi said he did not expect the government to support him.
His announcement of the AUC candidature came at a time when he was fighting the government following the controversial Finance Act 2023.
“The Kenya government did not ask me. I made a decision myself that I want to offer myself to serve the continent. You cannot run for this position without [being] sponsored by your country,” Odinga told reporters.
“I was [myself] pleasantly surprised that the Kenyan government said they will support me. I expected them to say no. I don’t know the reason why they said yes, that was their own decision, not mine,” he added.
The government has already unveiled a campaign strategy it hopes will help Raila win the seat during the elections set for early 2025.
Part of the plan, Mudavadi announced, involves translating his CV into six different languages.