Raila: President Ruto Petitioned African Union to Fire Me from Envoy Job

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga says President Ruto pushed for his dismissal as the African Union (AU) High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

Insisting that he left the role voluntarily, Odinga claimed Ruto petitioned the AU to terminate his contract when he attended the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU Assembly in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 17th.

“I did not lose it because I had already indicated to AU Chairperson Moussa Faki that I would exit because I had done my best but there was a lot of demand for my time back home,” Odinga told KTN News in an interview.

"I was not fired by anyone, there was a lot of work there. There was a lot of work in Kenya and outside. It was a lot for me to travel around the countries all the time," he added.

Odinga said Faki briefed Ruto on his earlier request to leave the agency, adding that the AU would have declined the president’s call to have him fired if he wanted to continue with the role.

“It is not him who had sacked me,” Odinga added.

The Kenyan opposition leader was appointed to the position in October 2018 as part of the African Union’s drive to expedite the integration of the continent through infrastructure, in order to promote economic growth and sustainable development.