Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has spoken following scrutiny over the budget of his African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship bid.
Speaking in Mombasa on Monday, February 24, Raila dismissed claims that Ksh13 billion was spent on his campaign and criticized those spreading the claims.
"I have seen billions being quoted; somebody is talking about Ksh 13 billion spent on the Raila campaign. I don't know which world those people live in and whether they know what a billion means," he said.
Raila defended the expenditure incurred during his campaign but failed to disclose the exact amount that was spent.
He also emphasized that his team did not indulge in luxury and at some point relied on the generosity of host nations for accommodation.
Read More
"The money that was spent was necessary; just to hire transport for traveling around, and we were not living luxuriously. We were eating whatever was given to us wherever we went, and other countries were very generous to provide accommodation for us," he stated.
Kenyans have expressed concerns about the financial transparency of Raila's campaign for the AU chairmanship seat.
Despite the public interest, government officials have remained reticent about the exact budget allocated for this endeavor.
In an interview before the elections, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi dismissed claims of a Ksh 10 billion allocation for the campaigns.
"All I can tell you is, as we put in efforts, as the president makes his trips. In my assignments and travels, I will campaign for him where he cannot. Even if we were to put some resources, as a government, take it from me, it can never be Ksh 10 billion," he said.
A section of leaders including Juja MP George Koimburi had accused the government of misusing public funds while lobbying for Raila's candidacy.
“It is a great shame to see public funds being misused to persuade people into electing Raila Amolo Odinga as AUC chairman,” he said.
Here is the video;
