Raila Odinga Explains Why He Joined King Charles III at Statehouse
The leader of Azimio, Raila Odinga, disclosed that his strong relationship with King Charles III of the United Kingdom led to an invitation to dine at the statehouse.
Raila revealed that he and the king have maintained a longstanding personal friendship and have collaborated on numerous projects over the years.
“I was invited by the king to dinner at the statehouse. He is a personal friend, and we have worked with him and his foundation in rehabilitating Lake Naivasha, which was polluted and marine life was dying,” said Raila.
Raila recounts meeting King Charles III
At the launch of the Mau Mau Freedom Fighters Foundation website and memoir, Raila shared that his initial meeting with the king and a former prime minister of Norway took place in Oslo. During this encounter, they presented four proposed projects in Kenya, seeking support from the king’s foundation.
Raila specified that the projects included Mau Conservation, the rehabilitation of the Nairobi River, initiatives in the Aberdares, and addressing issues affecting Lake Naivasha.
Ultimately, the foundation focused on Lake Naivasha due to its pollution and the deteriorating marine life in the area.
Furthermore, the former prime minister mentioned that the king extended an invitation to visit his London residence.
Subsequently, a delegation from Kenya, including the former prime minister, traveled to London where they engaged with UK-based companies that were involved in marketing Kenyan flowers.
“Then the King organised a dinner in his residence in London. I went with a delegation from Kenya, and he invited companies in the UK that market Kenyan flowers, and immediately that evening, with former minister Sally Kosgei, we had a pledge of 600,000 sterling pounds (KSh 109.8 million) from companies.
“By morning, it was 1 million sterling pounds, then he talked to the Dutch government and gave us 6 million euros (KSh 915.6 million) for the rehabilitation of Lake Naivasha. And the Lake was rehabilitated, thanks to King Charles III,” said Raila.
Raila attends statehouse Royal dinner
Following his loss in the 2022 General Election, the ODM leader visited the statehouse on October 31.
President William Ruto hosted a dinner in honor of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who were on a four-day visit to the country.
“Raila Odinga is among the dignitaries invited for the State Banquet in honour of the visiting King Charles III and Queen Camilla at State House Nairobi,” read a statement by the ODM party in part.
PL @RailaOdinga is among the dignitaries invited for the State Banquet in honour of the visiting King Charles (III) and Queen Camilla at State House Nairobi. pic.twitter.com/JqdbVlgKIY
— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) October 31, 2023
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Raila Odinga Explains Why He Joined King Charles III at Statehouse
