The Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee revealed that the government spent Ksh523.85 million on Raila Odinga’s unsuccessful campaign for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC).
During a committee meeting on Monday, March 10, Committee Chairman Nelson Koech disclosed that the funds were approved by the National Treasury under Article 223 of the Constitution, which allows for emergency spending without prior parliamentary approval provided it is ratified within two months.
Koech presented the findings to the National Assembly’s Liaison Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss, as part of the scrutiny of the Supplementary Budget II for the 2024/25 financial year.
According to the committee’s report, the Ksh523.85 million was allocated to the State Department for Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs and utilized for what was termed international candidatures activity.
The breakdown of the costs includes chartered aircraft hire, where a significant portion of the funds covered the cost of private air travel, enabling Raila and his campaign team to visit numerous African countries to lobby heads of state and government officials.
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Hotel accommodation was another expense, with funds used to secure accommodation for Raila, his nine-member campaign secretariat and accompanying delegations.
Airport transfers were also covered, as the budget facilitated ground transportation logistics, ensuring seamless movement for the campaign team across multiple countries.
The report also showed publicity and awareness creation took a portion of the funds, which went toward promotional materials, media engagements, and events.
This comes a week after Raila spoke following scrutiny over the budget of his 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.
"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.
