Treasury ‘paid billions’ for Raila Odinga’s 2 AU offices, says Ichung’wa

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader Raila Odinga. National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa has claimed Mr Odinga’s African Union role that ended this week could have cost the Kenyan taxpayer at least Sh2 billion.Azimio la

Whether Mr Odinga’s AU office and role were funded by taxpayers was a subject of debate in 2019 when the National Treasury mooted stopping his retirement perks over concern that he was

earning double perks. 

The perks cited were medical insurance, fuel allowance, fully furnished offices and 17 workers, including chefs, security, accountants, secretaries and personal assistants, all hired at taxpayers’ expense. In addition to these, the AU was also providing the opposition chief with medical cover, staff and cars.

Yesterday, at a function attended by President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said Mr Odinga’s role was terminated because of his anti-government rallies and position that he does not recognise Dr Ruto as Kenya’s duly-elected president.

Watch: Gachagua: Raila lost AU job because of demonstrations in Kenya

“Raila had a big job at the AU. He left that job to go and demonstrate and now he has been fired. He has been on the streets for 20 years. Now, he has lost his job because he has not been working; he has only been demonstrating. And we want to tell them: Do not threaten the government. You lost the elections. Accept it,” Mr Gachagua said in Mombasa.

But while controversy clouded the end of his AU role and how it was funded, Mr Odinga yesterday maintained his tough stance against the government and demanded an audit of the August 2022 polls, including opening the server to determine the winner.

IEBC server

Mr Odinga accused Dr Ruto of lying that the server had been opened throughout the process of voting, ballot counting, declaration of results, and Supreme Court petition to determine the validity of the win. He wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to come clean on the matter. 

“It was a plain, disgusting and horrifying lie, just like the many others he has told and continues to tell the country. Ruto claimed that IEBC servers were open during the identification of voters, posting of results, tallying of votes, announcing of results and during the hearing of the presidential election petition. How shameless can a leader be? How disrespectful can a leader be of citizens!” said Mr Odinga in an address to the media at a Nairobi hotel. 

Mr Odinga said despite a Supreme Court order to the IEBC to open the server, the agency failed to honour the orders.

The Azimio leader pointed out that it is the coalition, through a letter dated August 31, 2022, that brought to the attention of the Supreme Court that Smartmatic International Holding B.V. wrote to the electoral commission saying it would not comply with the court order as the move would infringe their property rights.

Azimio le“Kenyans remember how our judges of the Supreme Court watched helplessly as their orders were treated with contempt. Instead of enforcing their orders, they opted to lie to Kenyans, as Mr Ruto is doing now, that access had been granted,” he said.

Mr Odinga faulted the IEBC for not responding to questions related to its integrity on how it conducted the August polls in the wake of the revelations made by a whistleblower. 

Read: Raila Odinga announces return of mass action

He terms it questionable that anytime the IEBC is mentioned, it is President Ruto who comes to its defence, claiming it is an indication of an “unholy alliance” between the electoral commission and the Head of State. “The tragedy of this situation does not end there. The IEBC, which should be answering these queries, is silent. Instead, it has retained Mr Ruto as their patron and public relations manager.”

Mr Odinga said the only way to restore confidence in the electoral agency and give legitimacy to the leadership that emerged from that election, is to open the server for an audit by an independent firm. 

But Dr Ruto while speaking in Kitui on Thursday—comments he repeated in Mombasa yesterday—ruled out the opening of the IEBC server, saying the election was transparent.

“The servers were open when we went to the polls, when the votes were being counted and when the final tally was being announced and even when we went to court,” he said.

smundu@ke.nationmedia.com