Sunday, June 16, 2013

Raila to give key US talk, attends daughter’s graduation

By  | June 16, 2013

Former PM Raila Odinga with his daughter Winnie in Philadelphia/COURTESY
Former PM Raila Odinga with his daughter Winnie in Philadelphia/COURTESY
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to address policy makers in Washington as part of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre’s Africa Programme on Tuesday.
The former premier is expected to address a number of issues among them the achievements and challenges of the African continent over the last 50 years.
“The former Prime Minister of the Republic Kenya, The Honourable Raila A. Odinga, will discuss the past 50 years, highlighting both achievements and challenges on the continent,” a post on the Woodrow Wilson International Centre website reads.
Odinga is also expected to give his vision for the next 50 years particularly pertaining to Africa’s relationship with China and the United States.
“He will also share his vision for Africa over the next 50 years, with a particular focus on Africa’s future engagements with China and the United States,” the Wilson Centre post continues.
Odinga kicked off his tour of the United States by attending his last born daughter Winnie’s graduation ceremony together with his wife Ida Odinga at the Drexel University in Philadelphia on Friday; the 23-year-old graduated with a degree in Political Science.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader’s trip to the United States was preceded by a visit to South Africa where he addressed Students at the University of Pretoria on, “Sustaining Democracy’s Future in Africa: A Challenge to the Next Generation,” and an African President’s roundtable on, “the Cost of Democracy in Africa,” a statement from the former premier’s communication person Dennis Onyango read.
“I delivered my keynote address on the Cost of Democracy in Africa at The African Presidential Roundtable 2013 which was held at Constitution Hill in the Old Fort Parade Ground in Johannesburg, South Africa. We must not take the gains made so far for granted, we must all work to safeguard them and to prevent any attempts to take us backwards,” Odinga said of his trip to South Africa.
Odinga now seems to be spending a good amount of his time sharing his experience as a political figure on the African continent after insisting that he was not looking for President Uhuru Kenyatta to give him a job.
Prior to the South African trip the former Prime Minister addressed the Zimbabwe Youth Forum and before that he gave the keynote address at the Times CEO Summit in London where he had the opportunity to meet with his counterpart Gordon Brown.
Odinga’s political ally and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is expected back in the country on Sunday after a weeklong trip to China.

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