Azimio Leader Raila Odinga delivering a speech at a previous event. PHOTO: RAILA ODINGA
In Summary:
- Raila Odinga delivers a heartfelt condolence message in Malawi on behalf of President William Ruto.
- Raila calls for African unity, resource fairness, and compensation for climate change impacts.
A crowd at the Bingu National Stadium in Malawi cheered Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, as he delivered a condolence message on behalf of President William Ruto during the funeral service for the late Malawi Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima.
Raila, representing both Kenya and President Ruto, conveyed his deep condolences.
“I come here with a very deep heart and I speak on behalf of the people of Kenya. First, I want to convey my condolences on behalf of the President of Kenya, His Excellency William Ruto,” Raila stated.
As soon as the former Prime Minister took the podium, he was met with enthusiastic shouts and cheers.
He praised the late Chilima’s resilience and his commitment to equitable resource distribution, which resonated strongly with the audience.
The cheers grew louder, especially when Raila emphasized Chilima’s political stance.
He also expressed Kenya’s shared sense of loss, referencing the recent death of Chief of Defence Forces, General Francis Ogolla, in a plane crash.
Raila advocated for African unity and fair access to resources from Western countries.
“We are not asking for charity; we are asking for fairness in the international world markets. We want to see that Africans are able to add value to raw materials and are respected,” he declared.
He empathized with Malawi’s struggles following a drought caused by climate change and stated his intention to push for compensation for African states suffering from climate-related events.
He noted that Africa bore the brunt of these impacts despite contributing little to the problem.
Additionally, Raila called for relaxed travel measures across the continent, criticizing the current visa system for impeding African unity.
Chilima tragically lost his life on June 10 when a military aircraft carrying him and nine others, including former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, crashed, resulting in no survivors.