Raila Jets Out for High-Level Meeting with DRC President

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has today left the country for an official visit of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to a statement by Odinga’s spokesperson Denis Onyango, the ODM leader will be visiting DRC in his official capacity as the African Union’s special envoy for for Infrastructure.

In the statement, Onyango noted that while in DRC, Odinga will hold a meeting with DRC President Felix Tshisekedi on the progress of the Grand Inga Hydropower project.

“Mr. Odinga will have a meeting with President Felix Tshisekedi to review progress on the Grand Inga Hydropower project,” Onyango’s statement read in part.

Odinga’s itinerary in Congo

During the visit, the AU infrastructure envoy is expected to rally political support for the Grand Inga Hydropower as a continental project.

Reports indicate that Odinga’s meeting with President Tshisekedi is as a result of a high-level virtual multinational and multi-sector forum on the Grand Inga held last June, where the DRC President assured of his commitment to go on with the project.

If successfully completed, the Grand Inga Hydropower project will be the largest hydro-electric power generating facility in the world.

The Grand Inga project is expected to provide power for South Africa as well as mines and other consumers in the larger Congo region.