Rigathi Gachagua Praises Raila Odinga's Leadership, Says They Only Differed During Elections

• President William Ruto presided over the launch of Raila Odinga's campaign for his AUC chairmanship bid
• Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua praised Raila, acknowledging his significant contribution to pan-Africanism
• He stated that he has received feedback from the public about Raila's AUC candidature, revealing that everybody is behind him

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Nairobi - President William Ruto has officially launched Azimio leader Raila Odinga's campaign for the AUC chairmanship.

The event was attended by various heads of state from the East African Community as well as Kenyan leaders.

During the event, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has previously had differences with Raila, praised him highly. Gachagua described Raila as Kenya's finest and acknowledged his significant contributions to Africanism.

"What a day, what a moment! We are here to unveil Raila Odinga, Kenya’s finest, to lead the African Union Commission. I would like to tell the African leaders that we present Raila to be our candidate because Africa, our motherland deserves the best. The passion and zeal of Raila in pan-Africanism is well documented. Passion knows no age and limit," he stated.

Why did Gachagua, Raila differ?

He noted that his only concern about Raila was the competition between Raila and Ruto for the 2022 presidential position.

Gachagua also mentioned that, based on feedback from the public, Raila's bid for the AUC position is widely supported across all political divides and communities.

"As a truthful man, I had no issue with Raila Odinga’s leadership. The only problem was that he was competing for the same position as my boss. Now that he is running for a higher seat in Africa, all of us are behind him. I have listened to the ground and all Kenyans across all political divides are in support of your candidature and we wish you well," he affirmed.

Steve Ogolla reacts to Raila's AUC bid

In other news, lawyer Steve Ogolla argued that Raila Odinga has deep networks across Africa and the globe that can help him win the AUC chairmanship bid without relying on the government's support.

According to him, Raila has always shown his patriotism and love for democracy both locally and internationally.

Further, Ogolla argued that Raila accepting 'handshakes' after every loss in presidential elections portrays him as a true statesman.

What else you need to know about Raila's AUC chairmanship bid

• He received a standing ovation from leaders after delivering a powerful speech
• List of African leaders who attended the launch of Raila's AUC bid campaign
• William Ruto asked Kenyans to pray for Raila's bid for the AUC top post

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke

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Rigathi Gachagua (left frame) has showered Raila Odinga (right frame) with praise.

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