Raila Vows AU Bid Won’t Stifle Opposition

Inset: Raila Odinga, ODM Leader and Key Contender AU Chairperson position 2024

Raila Odinga, the leader of Azimio, has reiterated that he will not silence the opposition in his quest to become the fifth chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission.
Ensuring that he would be only a two-hour flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he would be stationed if his campaign succeeds, Raila offered the guarantee on Wednesday.
"I'll be available and will respond to calls whenever they come in. "I'm eager to collaborate with all of you," he declared.

President Ruto, who has since endorsed Raila's candidacy, was involved in a recent liaison that raised questions about possible concessions among the opposition.

The opposition would remain "unbwogable," the former prime minister stressed in his speech to attendees of the Homa Bay Investment Conference.
Leader of the Wiper Party Kalonzo Musyoka had earlier given assurances that if Raila wins the AU position, there would be no leadership void inside the Azimio alliance.
Kalonzo remarked, "If you are missing Baba, there is Uncle Stevo."

Some figures in Kenya's domestic political scene, especially those in the ODM party, are setting themselves up to take Raila's place should he decide to step down.
Among those seen as potential leaders of the powerful opposition party are former governors Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and Hassan Joho (Mombasa).

Though he would have to put an end to his anti-government operations, Kalonzo encouraged Raila to give priority to his campaign for the AU Commission position amid the heated negotiations around the ODM succession.

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THE CURRENT DISCOURSE

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