The presence of Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Noordin Haji in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for the Africa Union Commission (AUC) elections sparked a debate among Kenyans.
Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi was forced to explain why Haji took part in the AUC elections.
Speaking after the conclusion of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, Mudavadi dismissed criticism of Haji’s role in the campaign for Kenya’s candidate Raila Odinga.
Mudavadi stated that even the other countries involved their intelligence bosses in the lobbying process.
“He’s a Kenyan. Other countries also have their intelligence chiefs here,” Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi told off those targeting Haji saying he is a man who had dedicated his life for the country and region.
“Those criticizing him do not know what he does and has done for us as a country and region. It is unfair,” he said.
Mudavadi Defends Kenya’s Haji & Delegation
The Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary also dismissed reports that Kenya’s delegation to Ethiopia was big and unnecessary.
He accused the media of trying to look for negativity in the team sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Addis Ababa during the AUC elections.
“We are trying to dig for a negative, this is an important summit. It is about electing the new AUC chair and other factors. The government delegations have always been led by the President, and I am the Foreign Affairs Minister,” Mudavadi said.
Media Bias
According to Mudavadi, the media focused on highlighting Kenyans who travelled to Ethiopia with their own budget.
He explained that there are groups of leaders and citizens who attended the AUC summit but were not funded by the government.
“The Kenyans who are coming and being highlighted by the media are coming out of their volution. It’s not an expenditure from the government,” Mudavadi said.
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“These are people who have decided because of their patriotism, they want to cross over from their neighboring countries to come and have the opportunity to give moral support to Raila.”
Mudavadi stated that the delegation had a specific mission and consisted of officials from the ministry of foreign affairs who were critical in the process.
“Our delegation is not extra ordinary. We are conscious of the economic situation in Kenya, and I want Kenyans to appreciate this,” he said.
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Plea to Kenyans
The Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary also urged Kenyans to stop focusing so much Raila’s loss.
Mudavadi said the outcome of the election was never guaranteed even though the Kenyan government invested significant resources in the campaigns.
He revealed that the campaign, which took nearly a year, involved extensive person-to-person engagements and significant financial investment.
“We’ll give you a figure in Nairobi, but you can imagine this is a process that has taken close to a year,” he said.
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