Govt Defends 100 MPs Travelling With Raila For AUC Elections
The lawmakers are part of the Kenyan delegation to Ethiopia which features President William Ruto and PCS Mudavadi to support Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
Marvin Chege 
The government, through Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, has responded to media reports on a move by 100 Members of Parliament (MP) to accompany former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ahead of the African Union Commission (AUC) elections set for February 15, 2025.
The lawmakers are part of the Kenyan delegation to Ethiopia which features President William Ruto and PCS Mudavadi to support Raila Odinga’s bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the opening session of the African Union’s 46th Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Mudavadi defended the move, highlighting that the administration was aware of the economic situation and, therefore, ensured that the delegation remained modest in every aspect.
Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi at the opening session of the African Union’s 46th Executive Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 12, 2025. /MUSALIA MUDAVADI
"This is an important summit; an election summit. This summit is about electing the new AUC chair and other factors. The government delegation has always been led by the president of the Republic of Kenya, President Ruto, I am the minister for foreign affairs and we have officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who anchor this process and we have a mission here.
"Our delegation is not extraordinary, we are conscious of the economic situation in Kenya and I want Kenyans to appreciate this. We have a lean delegation coming here," he outlined, without revealing specific numbers in terms of the delegation, excluding the reported number of lawmakers.
Mudavadi further clarified that the delegates were travelling out of choice, and volunteering to sponsor themselves for the trip to offer Raila moral support ahead of a crucial weekend in the AUC chairperson race.
“The Kenyans who are coming, the ones who are being highlighted by yourselves is the free media in Kenya talking about people who are coming out of their volition. It’s not an expenditure from the government of Kenya.
"These are people who have decided, because of their patriotism, they want to cross over from a neighbouring country to come here to have an opportunity to give moral support to the Kenyan candidate,” he added.
According to the PCS, the level of patriotism is high, with people supporting Raila's bid for the sake of the entire country, putting differences that characterised recent political atmospheres aside. “There are so many Kenyans who, out of their own pockets, have come to Addis Ababa to show solidarity and patriotism. There are also some who are coming by bus because we share borders. We thank them,” he stated.
On Wednesday morning, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi confirmed that he is personally covering his expenses to travel to Addis Ababa, citing his role on the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee and his interest in international relations as the reason for attending the event.
The reports that emerged regarding the 100 MPs joining the Kenyan delegation sparked online outrage, given that Kenyan taxpayers' money was a key point of focus in terms of the travel expenditure from Nairobi to Addis Ababa.
Meanwhile, Mudavadi went on to state that Raila has a strong chance of securing the seat, alluding to his extensive continental campaigns and encouragement as well as support from President Ruto.
Raila is set to battle Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato in the race to succeed Moussa Faki as AUC chairperson.
To secure victory, one of the three candidates must obtain a two-thirds majority vote from the 55 member states, which amounts to 33 votes.
The election process takes place through a secret ballot during the AU Assembly, where heads of state and government cast their votes. If no candidate attains a two-thirds majority in the first round, additional rounds are conducted, with later stages potentially requiring only a simple majority.
