Raila Promises to Concede Defeat if He Loses as He Concludes US Tour

Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga has concluded his tour of the United States.

Odinga, who arrived in the US on Saturday, cut short the trip to attend the State funeral of the late former president Mwai Kibaki who died last Friday.

On Wednesday, Odinga visited the State Department in Washington, DC where he held a two-hour meeting with Molly Phee, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.

During the meeting, the ODM leader commended the US government for investing in Kenya’s healthcare sector as he sought support for his ‘Babacare’ program if elected president in August.

“He notified the US government that he will be seeking their help to roll out radical reforms to the health sector, particularly the ‘Babacare’ programme if elected President,” Raila’s spokesperson Dennis Onyango said in a statement.

On her part, Phee briefed Odinga on the five core areas of Kenya-US bilateral cooperation including economic prosperity; trade and investment; defense; democracy, governance, and civilian security; multilateral and regional issues; and health.

Odinga and Phee also agreed on the need for peace in the run-up to, during, and after the August 9th elections.

“Odinga said he would not want to be an impediment to the march of democratization in Kenya and pledged to do everything within his power to ensure peaceful elections,” Onyango said.

Odinga later held a meeting at the White House with Dana Banks - the National Security Council senior adviser for Africa, with the two agreeing on the need for peaceful elections in Kenya.

While he expressed confidence that he would win the elections, Odinga pledged to respect the outcome even if he loses.

Banks announced that the US government is working to secure humanitarian assistance for those affected by drought and famine in the Horn of Africa and promised support for Kenya’s election process.

Odinga was accompanied by governors Ndiritu Muriithi (Laikipia), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), and James Ongwae (Kisii), as well as Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua, former Aldai MP Dr. Sally Kosgey, Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, Prof. Makau Mutua and former Kenya Ambassador to the US Elkanah Odembo, among others.