Raila to market his candidature in five-day UK visit

ODM leader Raila Odinga. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

ODM leader Raila Odinga has lined up a series of high-profile engagements in his five-day UK visit that started yesterday.

The Azimio la Umoja Movement presidential flagbearer arrived in the United Kingdom yesterday morning and was received by Kenya’s High Commissioner to the UK Manoah Esipisu.

He is accompanied by 2013 presidential candidate Peter Kenneth, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and was set to be joined by Cotu boss Francis Atwoli among other top political figures.

According to an itinerary shared by his team, the former premier was yesterday expected to hold private meetings.

He is today scheduled to hold talks with UK Minister of Armed Forces James Heappey before meeting UK Prime Minister’s Trade envoy to Kenya Theo Clarke at the Westminster.

Tomorrow, Mr Odinga will meet Lord Tarif Ahmad, the UK Minister for South Asia, North Africa, the United Nations, and the Commonwealth at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

He will later in the day give a talk at the Chatham House Thinktank where he is expected to share his vision for Kenya. Mr Odinga will further be sharing his views on his unity bid under Azimio, which has the backing of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The former premier is on Thursday set to meet with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at Lambeth Palace. He is later the same day scheduled to meet Kenyans living in the UK.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said Mr Odinga’s trip was partly to hand him a platform to sell his agenda to the diaspora support base.

“Now that he is the candidate, he is supposed to talk to the powers in the West so they understand his agenda for the country,” said Mr Sifuna.

His trip comes days after Deputy President William Ruto - his main challenger in the August 9 poll - made a similar trip.

Dr Ruto was in the US and the UK for 10 days, where he stirred a major political storm by attacking his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta for abetting corruption and looting of public funds.

He claimed the country was losing Sh100 billion annually through budgeted corruption.