Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua currently asserts that Raila Odinga was fired from his position as the African Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development.
PHOTO | COURTESY Gachagu says that Raila was fired as a result of Demos

Odinga is the leader of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party.

DP Gachagua asserts that contrary to what Mr Odinga claimed, he is let go rather than asked to leave his position at the Union.

During his remarks on Friday at the Taifa Gas plant in Dongo Kundu in Mombasa, the DP said that Mr Odinga was removed from his position by the AU due to his ongoing political activities, rendering him unfit for the position.

He says, “Haya maandamano yanatia huyu mzee hasara kubwa sana…Amekuwa na kazi kubwa ya African Union infrastructure, amewacha hiyo kazi ameenda maandamano, amefukuzwa kwa hiyo kazi, si imemtia hasara sana?” Gachagua posed.

“Hii maandamano amefanya zaidi ya miaka ishirini, kila mwaka anapata hasara…ameambiwa huyu mzee hapatikani kazini ako maandamano akipiga kelele.”

The DP then praised the AU for dismissing the former premiere, noting that it should serve as a warning to those who neglect their duties and participate in extracurricular activities.

“Si ata hao wa African Union wamefanya vile inatakikana kwa sababu kama hauko kazini, si watatafuta mwingine?” He posed.

The Azimio protests were also laughed at by DP Gachagua, who claimed that government-run enterprises were unaffected.


Nonetheless, he encouraged the in-attendance Likoni MP Mishi Mboko to tell her party chief to stop such rallies since they were becoming pointless.

“Ata huyu mzee wa maandanano hakuna shida, si maandamano ni kuandamana alafu anaenda nyumbani jioni, kuna kitu inabadilika?” He posed.

“I’m sending you MP Mboko mwambie…haya maandamano yanatia huyu mzee hasara kubwa sana.”

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the head of the African Union Commission, expressed gratitude in a letter dated February 19 to Mr Odinga for his service and his best wishes for the future.

He declared that The position would change to the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD).

"The leveraging of infrastructure as a key priority within the Continental agenda has been made possible by your extraordinary leadership and singular command of the challenges involved.

According to Mahamat, having full power to execute the Continental agenda on infrastructure, the NEPAD agency has now been transformed into the African Union Development Agency - NEPAD.

PHOTO | COURTESY Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga
In a subsequent letter to the chairperson of the African Union on his Twitter account, Mr Odinga stated that he had asked to let go of his duties because of difficulties brought on by his "continuous unavailability."

"About three weeks ago, when we met in Dakar, Senegal, outside of the second Dakar African Infrastructure Finance Forum, I mentioned the difficulties with maintaining my availability for the position of AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

In that sense, I appreciate your prompt action, which will allow me to attend to other important and pressing issues.