MP Koech proposes Prime Minister post for Raila after AUC defeat

Speaking on Citizen TV on Monday, Koech said that Odinga should be onboarded to the ruling government to offer leadership counsel to support President William Ruto's administration.

"We have to find a structure that will accommodate Raila Odinga to continue doing his job. I don't think it's really about positions for Raila Odinga it's about the resource that he can give us," Koech noted.

"We in Kenya Kwanza should accommodate that experience and the counsel he will give us and it will help in bettering our country and our management."

Koech, the chairperson of the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee in the National Assembly further opined that Odinga could be awarded a plump position in power, presumably his former position of Prime Minister.

"We could even do better by having the office of the Prime Minister. I'm just having a wild thought on what could happen," he opined.

He advised that deliberations made in the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report, which recognized the office of the leader of the opposition, should also be invoked to deliberate on Odinga's reward.

Odinga lost the race in a 7-round voting exercise conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday.

Odinga won the first two rounds of voting but then went on to lose the next rounds to Djibouti's candidate Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.

In the first round, he garnered 20 votes against Mahamoud’s 18, while Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar bagged 10 votes. 

In the second round, he secured 22 votes, Mahamoud got 19, and Randriamandrato received 7 votes as one nation abstained.

Tables turned in the third round after Odinga received 20 votes, losing to Mahamoud who rose to first place with 23 votes and maintained the lead up to the last round.

Meanwhile, Odinga has absolved Ruto of his flop, saying the President did “everything possible” to support his campaign for the continental role.

“There will be a lot of blame games: I did not do much as expected; I am tired and too old; Ruto was not genuine in supporting me… Ruto did everything possible for this campaign. He gave me all the logistical support I needed and made my appointments to meet all leaders on the continent,” Odinga told guests at a dinner in Addis Ababa on Saturday after the elections.

“I walk with my head tall,” he added.

On his part, Ruto said he was “disappointed” by the election outcome, telling guests that Odinga “was the best candidate.”

“I regret that Africa missed an opportunity to be served by the finest of our continent,” he said.