Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is in the country on a mission believed to be mediating talks between President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga.
Obasanjo jetted in on Wednesday night.
He met Raila and his NASA team on Thursday where insiders say he tried to talk them out of the planned swearing-in on January 30.
But NASA remains adamant in calling off the planned inauguration bid for Raila and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka.
However, it is not yet clear if Obasanjo will meet President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Nigerian High Commissioner to Kenya Sheidu Momoh said the ex-Nigerian President is not on a bilateral mission to Kenya.
“Yes, I’m aware that our former President is in the country. What I can tell you is that he is not on bilateral duty,” he said according to the Star.
Uhuru’s handlers did not confirm if Obasanjo has met the President or if he will meet him in the future. In fact, Foreign Affairs PS Monicah Juma denied any knowledge of Obasanjo’s presence in the country.
“I’m not aware,” she said.
A highly placed diplomat said since NASA has not softened to US Ambassador Robert Godec’s call to shelve the swearing-in plan, an African leader was the last call.
“American Ambassador Robert Godec has been involved in this initiative together with other diplomats. Once they realised that NASA was not interested in abandoning its swearing-in plans, they decided to find a well-respected African leader who could speak to both sides,” said the diplomat.
Obasanjo together with Tanzanian President and South African Vice-President Cyril Ramaphosa have been touted to be Raila’s lead campaign financiers.