Raila cuts short US trip to attend Mwai Kibaki's funeral

Raila Odinga left the country on Friday evening for a week's tour of the US. [Source: Raila Odinga; Twitter]

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga will cut short his ongoing tour of the United States of America to attend the late President Mwai Kibaki’s funeral service and burial.

In a statement by Odinga’s presidential campaign press secretary Denis Onsarigo, the former Prime Minister is expected to jet back into the country on Wednesday.

“Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition flag-bearer Rt Hon Raila Odinga will cut short his ongoing US trip and travel back home on Wednesday ahead of the state burial of the former President Mwai Kibaki,” the statement read in full.

The statement was released on Monday, April 25 at around midday.

Hours after the announcement of Kibaki’s passing, Odinga left the country for a week's tour of the United States of America.

Experts argue that this was to be the presidential hopeful’s last international travel before the August 9 General Election.

Odinga was expected to spend the week in Washington, DC and San Francisco meeting distinguished entrepreneurs, technology giants, top US government officials, senior Congress members and some key African leaders.

“He will meet and address Kenyans in the American diaspora and speak to several think tanks,” the spokesperson of Raila Odinga's presidential Campaign Secretariat Makau Mutua said in a statement.