Raila urges African leaders to use homemade solutions in problem-solving

Opposition chief Raila Odinga gives a lecture at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. [Courtesy]

Opposition chief Raila Odinga has urged African counties that are in political turmoil to emulate Kenya in seeking lasting peace.

Speaking at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom yesterday during a lecture on ‘Africa in a changing world’, the former premier said solutions for Africa’s problems can only come from the continent itself.

Raila reached a political truce with President Uhuru Kenyatta, ending political hostilities between the Government and the Opposition.

“As leaders, we came to the acceptance that solutions to our problems will never come from outside and that the solutions must result from an honest assessment of objective realities prevailing in the nation,” he said.

Raila urged Africans to come up with homemade solutions to the challenges they face in a world that is interconnected and disengaged at the same time.

The building bridges initiative, the idea coined by Raila and President Kenyatta after their March 9 truce, has paved way for a frank discussion about the questions that have bedevilled Kenya for decades.

The challenges to be tackled were narrowed down to corruption, marginalisation, insecurity, electoral injustices, lack of national ethos and a weak devolution set up.

“We agreed that the time had come for Kenya to reflect on its performance in the search for hallowed goals of justice, unity, peace, liberty and prosperity for all that our struggle for independence was about,” added Raila.

A 14-member team formed to spearhead talks is expected to go round the country collecting views and ideas of how best to unite the country.

Raila accused the West of turning their backs on youths from third world countries. He will deliver a lecture at Oxford University today, as a guest of Cambridge Union and Oxford Union.