- It has also emerged that Raila has changed tack from a combative and aggressive politician to a diplomat.
- President William Ruto was the chief guest for the conference on Wednesday, leading top government officials and partners to woo investors into Western Kenya County.
Image: COLLINS APUDO/File
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga will miss the ongoing Kakamega County Investment Conference scheduled to end on Friday.
It has also emerged that Raila has changed tack from a combative and aggressive politician to a diplomat as he focuses on the African Union Commission Chairperson job.
Seen as a highly sensitive diplomatic job, analysts say Raila would ultimately be forced off the country's active politics owing to the demanding nature of the job, even during campaigns.
The Star has established that Raila will not attend the conference because he is out of the country in his efforts to lobby continental leaders to support his quest for the African Union Commission chairperson post.
Raila has recently slowed down his public appearances in the country following his announcement for the AU top most job bid.
On Thursday, Raila will be represented at the event by National Assembly Minority Leader and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.
Raila’s spokesperson Dennis Onyango confirmed that his boss would not be attending the conference which closes on Friday.
“He(Raila) is out of the country but will be represented by Opiyo Wandayi,’’ Onyango told the Star in a text message.
The move to task Wandayi the responsibility to hold forte for Raila will be watched closely by other politicians whetting their appetite to succeed the ODM boss.
The Azimio boss was to address the conference on Thursday, a day after President William Ruto delivered his address and officially opened the conference.
Raila is out of the country as part of campaigns to secure backing among heads of state for his AU job bid ahead of elections next February.
President William Ruto was the chief guest for the conference, leading top government officials and partners to woo investors into Western Kenya county.
Ruto on Wednesday announced that the government will release Sh5.8 billion for the construction of the stalled Kakamega Gold Refinery in the Ikolomani constituency.
He also outlined a plan to reform the sugar industry in Western Kenya.
“Let me confirm to the people of Kakamega that we are going to reform our sugar sector. Our reform process is underway and what we have wanted to do for the last 25 years we must conclude this year,” he said.
This is the first time Raila has missed a major event hosted by a governor allied with his ODM party.
This could signal his ensuing laid-back approach as he focuses on the African Union Commission job while retreating quietly from hot-baton local politics.
On February 28, Raila led top ODM leaders to the Homa Bay Investment Conference. A day after President Ruto also addressed the gathering.
This is as it emerged that Raila has decided to slow down his attacks on the Kenya Kwanza administration, leaving his troops to instead take charge as he campaigns for the AU job.
Wandayi led top ODM leaders and MPs on Tuesday to demand that the government release capitation funds for schools in full.
They addressed the press at the Parliament Buildings, giving credence to the proposition that Raila has retreated.
Raila was last seen in public for ODM activities on March 8 and 9 when he led party recruitment efforts in Wajir County and another event in Kibra constituency.
Analysts say that Raila has been forced to change his approach owing to the sensitivity of the AUC post, especially after securing the backing of President Ruto and regional leaders.
"He wants state support, so he cannot at the same time continue criticising the same government. Maybe when he gets there, things will be different,'' Professor Gitule Naituli of Multimedia University said.