22nd October, 2018
President Uhuru Kenyatta played a key role in the appointment of Opposition leader Raila Odinga African Union special envoy.
Officials aware of the events preceding Friday’s announcement of Raila as AU’s special envoy for infrastructure development in the continent said the deal was struck six months ago.
Raila will be the first holder of the new office established to promote integration, cross-border trade and regional projects, including railways and roads as well as in the energy sector. Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma said an agreement on the appointment of Raila was struck in April when the chairman of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, visited Uhuru. “Appointment of Raila by Mahamat and the President’s endorsement was made in pursuit of Africa’s integration agenda,” Dr Juma said. Mr Mahamat, a former prime minister of Chad, was in Kenya in April – a month after the then two major political protagonists, Uhuru and Raila, called a truce and pledged to work together after the famous handshake.