Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga was on Monday morning, February 24, hosted by President William Ruto at State House Mombasa.
In a statement, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) acknowledged the meeting and indicated that he would be holding further discussions with his allies before making a major announcement.
"Raila Odinga this morning held consultations with President William Ruto at State House Mombasa. He said he will hold further consultations with his friends and other stakeholders on the state of affairs and make a major pronouncement in the coming few days," the statement read.
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On his part, President Ruto said," Raila Odinga rolled out a formidable and effective campaign for the position of African Union Commission chairperson across the continent. He was present and available for the busy schedules and appointments in nearly all capitals of Africa.
"His inspiring message of what is needed for the continent's transformation brought our country, Eastern Africa, and Africa together. We thank everyone who contributed to his campaign. A special mention to the entire Africa for its show of solidarity and support to Kenya and Odinga."
The event was Ruto's first meeting with Raila after his concession in the AUC chairperson race, where he was eliminated after several rounds of voting.
The election, held on February 15, 2025, saw Djibouti's Foreign Minister, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, emerge victorious with 33 votes in the seventh round, surpassing the required two-thirds majority.
Elsewhere, speaking moments after the meeting, Raila dismissed claims that Ksh13 billion was spent on his AUC chairmanship bid 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.
"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.
