Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila
Odinga alleged that international communities opposed his candidature due to
his plan to tame market monopolies dominated by foreign nations.
Speaking during a book launch
on Thursday, October 6 at the National Museum, Raila noted that his plan to
turn Kenya into a manufacturing hub did not augur well with some international
monopoly capital.
The High Representative
to African Union (AU) noted that he had envisioned transforming the
country to be an exporter of finished products thus reducing the country's
over-reliance on imported goods.
While the agenda was better
for the country as it would encourage local manufacturing and production,
foreign powers reportedly translated it as a scheme to deprive them of raw
materials from the country.
"The international
monopoly capital is not comfortable when you are talking about making Kenya a
manufacturing hub to supply Eastern and Central African region. Those people
are not happy with you when you talk about beneficiation and value addition to
local raw materials that are going to compete against international monopoly
capital," Raila stated.
"That is the reason why
they don't want us to go in there, but we cannot forever remain servants of
international monopoly capital, Africa must rise," he added.
Defending his claims, Raila
noted that most international communities remained mum despite his camp raising
issues with the malpractices witnessed in the August 9 polls.
He called them out for hailing
the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson, Wafula Chebukati,
as a hero despite four commissioners rejecting the final results.
According to Raila, Chebukati's
action would not be permissible in other countries in Europe and the
US.
"On August 15, you saw
the chairman of the Commission running to go and announce the results and the
bigger parts of the commissioners saying 'no, these are not the results.' The
international community cannot condemn such kind of an action because they knew
what was happening. It can only happen in Africa, and not in Europe and the
US," he stated.
"It is only here where
the chairman of the electoral commission goes alone out of the seven
commissioners, then they say he is the hero of the day instead of saying he is
the devil of the day."
Raila, however, noted that he
would continue championing electoral reforms and economic transformation in the
country. He ruled out staging any form of protests but vowed to keep the
government in check.
His sentiments came days after
President William Ruto hinted at assigning him a role outside the government.
The President noted that he was open to working with the ODM party leader
and even former President Uhuru Kenyatta to help his administration prosper.
He reiterated that a handshake
arrangement would undermine
the opposition's role.
"When Raila Odinga
decides to retire, and I think there are roles he can play as a Kenyan leader,
he can support the country in other initiatives may be in the Great Lakes
Region, he can work with us as an elder statesman, it is not for me to
choose," President Ruto stated.
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