Thursday, September 12, 2024 – President William Ruto’s government has dissociated itself from a fundraiser organized by Friends of Baba, a group campaigning for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his quest to become the next African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson.
In a statement yesterday,
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei maintained that the
government was not in any way associated with the fundraiser.
This is after it emerged that
requests had been forwarded to leaders and Kenyans, requesting them to attend
the fundraiser seeking to raise money to bolster Raila’s AU campaign.
The PS, who coincidentally is
one of the leaders appointed by Ruto to lead Raila’s campaign, announced the
Secretariat in which he sits, is not associated in any way with the lobby
group.
"We disassociate the
Secretariat of the Campaign of H.E. Raila Odinga from this fundraising
effort,’’ Sing’oei announced.
Invitation letters show that the
lobby had extended invitation letters to various leaders to the fundraiser set
to be held at a popular luxury hotel in Nairobi on Sep 18, 2024.
"Friends of Baba exclusively
invites you to a fundraiser dinner with H.E Raila Odinga. A night dedicated to
his visionary leadership as he embarks on his journey to becoming the next
African Union Commission Chair,’’ the invite read in part.
The lobby has been campaigning
for Raila on social media identifying itself as a group made up of African
leaders and current and former diplomats coming together to support Raila Odinga's
candidacy for AUC Chairmanship.
The lobby also indicated in the
invite their bank details for those who wished to contribute to the cause. The
dress code for the event was also specified as well with attendees required to
don African wear.
However, the PS did not comment on whether the Secretariat recognized the lobby group or its efforts to push for
Raila's candidacy.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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