Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga. Left: His letter to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, with a mistyped date. PHOTOS | COURTESY
A mistyped date has seen Azimio la Umoja party leader Raila Odinga deleting and reposting a tweet in which he acknowledged the lapse of his tenure as Africa Union’s High Representative for Infrastructure Development.
The original tweeted had attached letter to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat. The letter was dated 23 February 2022. It’s appears Mr Odinga’s secretariat only realised that the letter bore a wrong date after the tweet had been posted.
Although the rest of the details in the corrected letter in the subsequent post remained the same, hawk-eyed Kenyans could not help but notice the immediate posting and deleting of the post.
In the letter addressed to Mr Mahamat, the ODM party leader said he had indicated challenges to his continued availability for the role of AU High Representative for Infrastructure Development in Africa.
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“In that regard, I welcome your quick action that will free me to pursue other pressing and urgent matters,” Mr Odinga said in the letter.
Having been appointed to the position in 2018, Mr Odinga had the mandate of building on the work and leadership of the PIDA Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative.
Mr Odinga also said it has been an honour for him to serve the African continent in matters infrastructure development which he named as the greatest contributor to the unending poverty levels and underdevelopment in African countries.
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“I am proud to have made a contribution to the transformation of the NEPAD Agency to African Union Development Agency among other contributions during my tenure. Many challenges remain, including the inaction by the Continent’s leadership and vested interests outside the Continent that are only too keen to keep Africa in its present condition. Hopefully, the continent will overcome this,” Mr Odinga said.
Mr Odinga’s statement came shortly after it came to light that his tenure had lapsed. In a letter to Mr Odinga, Mr Mahamat thanked the former for his service and wished him in his future endeavors.
“Your role in this journey, Excellency, has been invaluable. Allow me to express my profound gratitude for accepting to serve in this role during the transition period, which has now come to a happy conclusion,” said Mr Moussa Faki.
The end of Mr Odinga’s contract after four years comes as his differences with the new administration of President William Ruto continues to deepen.
Also read: Raila’s tenure as AU High Representative for Infrastructure lapses
