Raila: I’ve what it takes to lead Africa’s vision
According to Raila, he has what it takes to get Africa to where it wants to be in all facets, including education, health, African trade, and value addition of raw materials, which he said is the continent’s abundant wealth.
Raila said he draws his own belief having acted in an almost similar capacity as African Union High Representative on Infrastructure.
“I have acted as the African Union High Representative on Infrastructure and on this I know we have a very comprehensive programme on infrastructure development in the continent,” he said.
“What remains is action and what I want to promise the African people is that I will lead from the front to ensure we achieve the visions of the founding fathers of our continent.”
Raila said that despite Africa’s liberation, more needed to be done to unite it and attain Vision 2063, which is coming up 50 years later.
“I have the experience, I have been part of this movement for change in the continent. Some achievements have been made but there is more to be done,” he said, adding that Africa has immense wealth.
Raila was speaking Friday night during the African Union Leadership debate dubbed Mjadala Afrika.
He was unpacking his manifesto during the two-hour three-round debate where he faced off with Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar.
Raila said for Africa to fully benefit from her resources, there was need for value addition on raw materials coming out of the continent.
He also emphasised about the need to enhance intra-Africa trade, noting that as it stands today, it’s at just 15 per cent.
Raila said not much has been achieved with the African Free Trade Area launched threes years ago due to non-tariff barriers and standards and modalities for payment, which is different for countries.
Personally I have known Raila Odinga and his political struggles in 42 years. We first met at Kileleshwa Police station in 1982 after the coup attempt. I was arrested because I was the Secretary General of Students Union of Nairobi University (NUSO).
So Raila walks into the police cell and I go to him and tell him there are police spies all over the place and he should not say anything to anybody. He was fine with that but he told me he is not scared of anything.
Raila Odinga: Why I am ready for AU job
Raila Odinga has spent nine years of his life since then in detention but he never gave up. He fought dictator Moi and worked with him in 1997 before getting the dictator dumped in the political garbage bag in 2002.
After that Raila worked with Mwai Kibaki who after promising Kenyans a new constitution worked with the likes of Martha Karua to defeat that process, Kibaki brought up a fake katiba for Kenya in 2005. Raila worked with Kenyans and defeated the Kibaki Fraud katiba. That is how Kenyans came up with the new 2010 Constitution of Kenya which many Kenyans think was a milestone in our country.
Without Raila, Kenyans would never have the 2010 Constitution.
At the continental level Africa needs Raila Odinga now and his vision as he has explained it makes a lot of sense. He wants a United States of Africa to maximize the economic and natural assets that Africa has.
If Africa can achieve that with a total population of more that 1 billion people we could be at the top of things economically and in other areas. That is great hope for our continent.
