Raila Cuts Short US Tour to Attend Kibaki's State Funeral

ODM leader Raila Odinga has cut short his week-long tour of the United States to attend former President Mwai Kibaki’s burial.

His press team said Odinga, who is the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential flagbearer, will travel back to the country on Wednesday ahead of Kibaki’s State funeral scheduled for Friday.

The departed former president’s State funeral will be held at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, where Kibaki will be accorded full military honors and protocols, including a 19-gun salute.

Kibaki, who served as the country’s third president between 2002 and 2103, will be laid to rest on Saturday at his home in Othaya Nyeri County.

Odinga landed in the US on Saturday and held a town hall meeting with Kenyans in Washington, DC, on Sunday afternoon.

During the meeting, he briefed Kenyans in the US on the state of the country, election preparations, and his post-election plans for Kenya and the diaspora.

On Monday, Odinga is expected to engage Corporate America, followed by meetings with officials from the Executive arm of the US government on Tuesday.

“The engagements with the members of the Executive will give way to another with the legislative arm of the US government when Mr. Odinga meets key US Senate and Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill,” Raila's press secretary Dennis Onyango said in a press statement.

“In his engagements with corporate America on Tuesday, Mr. Odinga will recognize and appreciate US corporations that have set up in Kenya and encourage more members of the group to take up the challenge to invest in Kenya."

Odinga was also scheduled to meet think tanks including the Atlantic Council and the Centre for Global Development.

He is 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.