Opposition Chief Raila Odinga is set for a tour to the United States to hold talks with State Department officials and leaders of think-tanks with Africa on focus.
The tour has been organized by a Washington-based non-governmental organization, Vanguard Africa, a non-profit NGO co-founded by a top operative in US presidential campaigns.
According to a letter sent by the NGO to ODM, the talks will also border on offering Raila partisan political advice in light of his Presidential bid on August 8.
“During our time together in Washington, we hope to have a collaborative and open discussion about your campaign, current challenges and the real prospects for success,” said Vanguard’s executives in the letter addressed to Raila.
They also told Raila that their prospects were centered on, “uniting a centralised opposition campaign to maximise the opportunity for electoral success.”
“We feel that a cohesive opposition coalition provides you the best opportunity to both win at the polls and advance your legacy as a transcendent leader on the African continent,” further read the letter.
Vanguard Africa executive director Jeffrey Smith dismissed claims that the organization has been paid off by Raila to support his candidacy stating: “We’re not a mercenary organization.”
“We had a limited engagement in Washington with Mr Odinga,” said Smith adding, “that’s the entire relationship.”
Smith noted that Vanguard’s interest was in having Kenya hold free, fair and peaceful elections.
These recent developments are a major boost to Raila’s bid to sit on the house on the Hill, State House, which he has failed to clinch in the last two disputed general elections.