Raila Odinga To Leave Kenya Tonight For This Destination

Former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga will leave the country on Friday evening, January 13.

In a statement to newsrooms, Raila's communications director, Dennis Onyango, revealed that he will leave Kenya for a one-week visit to South Africa.

Onyango added that Raila will have a series of meetings in his capacity as the African Union (AU) High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

Raila Odinga on board a plane. /FILE

"The Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga leaves the country this evening for a one-week visit to South Africa. During the visit, in his capacity as the AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa, Mr Odinga will meet the Chief Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) Nardos Bekele-Thomas.

"The meeting will review the progress of the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa Priority Action Plan 2 (PIDA-PAP2). The PIDA-PAP 2 is a portfolio of strategic projects proposed by Regional Economic Communities and AU Member States for implementation between by 2030," the statement read in part.

The PIDA-PAP 2 is comprised of sixty-nine (69) regional infrastructure projects in the sectors of Energy, Transport, Trans-Boundary Water, and Information and Communication Technology. 

Raila is also scheduled to hold meetings with South African leaders from government, non-government organizations and business sectors.

Notably, this is Raila's first trip out of the country in 2023. He last flew abroad on December 10, 2022, for a one-week visit to the United States (US), where he was scheduled to arrive on Jamhuri Day (Monday, December 12).

"Hon. Raila Odinga is set to leave the country late Saturday, December 10, 2022, for a one-week visit to the US where he will join other leaders from across the African continent for the US- Africa in Washington, DC.

"Mr Odinga is expected to arrive in Washington on Monday, December 12, 2022, for the Summit that runs from December 13-15. He will be attending the meeting in his capacity as the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development. In that capacity, he will lead discussions on the promotion of investment in infrastructure and the attainment of Just Energy Transition," read a statement in part at the time.

Raila was also lined up for a series of meetings with leaders from the public and private sectors and civil society organizations on the sidelines of the Summit.

President William Ruto also attended the Summit between December 13 and 15, 2022, which offered an opportunity for African leaders to shape the continent's partnership with the US in a range of sectors including trade, the economy, security and political relations.

In strengthening Kenya's bilateral and economic ties with the US, President Ruto advocated the conclusion of the Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement and support African countries' push to expand US-Africa trade relations through the renewal of AGOA.

During the tour, he delivered a statement on "The Future of Africa's Trade and Investment Relations with the US", and address the summit on partnering in Agenda 2063, and specifically on A Peaceful and Secure Africa.