By The Weekly Vision Reporter
Just 24 hours after ODM leader Raila Odinga departed the country for Dubai in the company of two of his trusted allies, Junet Mohammed and former Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, new information has surfaced regarding the purpose of their visit. It appears that Mr Odinga’s mission revolves around resource mobilization to fund his bid for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
As the campaigns intensify, it is evident that funding the campaign will be a more costly affair than a presidential campaign in Kenya. With this in mind, Mr Odinga has initiated a resource mobilization and fundraising campaign targeting wealthy individuals abroad to facilitate his tours of all African countries leading up to the May 2024 elections. It is widely believed that his resource mobilization strategy will involve enlisting the support of his friends in Kenya and abroad, some of whom generously contributed to his 2022 presidential bid.
Both Joho and Junet were specifically selected, according to our sources, to engage with influential Middle East-based tycoons given their Muslim backgrounds; they have strong ties within the Muslim community in the region. Undoubtedly, Joho has strong relationships with numerous Arab tycoons, and Mr Odinga is likely capitalizing on these connections to gather financial support for his campaigns. It is common knowledge that Arab billionaires are acknowledged for their role in financing political initiatives, generously funding presidential candidates across the globe in exchange for lucrative business dealings.
Reports suggest that President William Ruto has committed to supporting Mr Odinga’s campaigns, but as a cunning politician, he is not keen on relying entirely on state funding for his campaigns. Moreover, there are concerns regarding the absence of provisions in the state budget to finance his campaigns. This has sparked fears about the potential legal challenges that could arise. Consequently, Mr Odinga has taken the step of mobilizing funds independently to support his campaign endeavours.
Additionally, he is cognizant of the fact that there are individuals within Kenya Kwanza who may want to hinder his campaigns through deliberate delays in the allocation from government coffers. During the last elections, Joho played a crucial role by employing his connections with wealthy Muslim businessmen in Dubai. These influential tycoons generously financed Raila’s campaigns.
Beyond the fundraising mission, sources say Mr Odinga will also meet with his strategic campaign team in Dubai. It has been reported that he is contemplating the formation of a campaign team composed of prominent African leaders from almost all countries across the continent.
