Nyandarua Senator John Methu has raised concerns about one hundred Members of Parliament who are set to accompany Raila Odinga to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia ahead of the African Union Commission (AUC) elections set for February 15, 2025.
Speaking on Tuesday, February 11, Methu said the MPs have no role in Addis Ababa since the former Prime Minister already has a secretariat.
The vocal ally of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua pointed out that it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money to sponsor the one hundred lawmakers to Ethiopia to just ‘idle around’.
“I want to hope and imagine that the 100 MPs that are going with Baba to Ethiopia are doing so with their own budget. We cannot be a spendthrift. Raila Odinga has his own secretariat. There is no role that the MPs in my opinion are offering apart from their supportive role that we are offering.
“We cannot then be, as a government, sending 100 MPs from tomorrow to Saturday just to idle around Addis Ababa. These are the kinds of things that are choking and hurting the people of Kenya,” said Methu.
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Media reports indicate that President William Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and at least a hundred MPs and top state officials are set to fly to Addis Ababa to be in solidarity with Raila who is eyeing the AUC chairperson seat.
Raila will be facing Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato.
To win the AUC chairmanship, a candidate must obtain a two-thirds majority vote from the 55 member states, equating to 33 votes.
If no candidate achieves a two-thirds majority in the initial round, subsequent rounds are held, with the possibility of requiring only a simple majority in later stages.
