Raila Odinga Holds Talks With US Ambassador Bob Godec

National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday held talks with US Ambassador Bob Godec on a number of issues.

It was Odinga's second meeting with Godec since his March 9 handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta, with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) having previously demanded that the ambassador be recalled by the US government over his alleged role in bungling the 2017 General Election.

The opposition chief disclosed that among the topics they discussed on Friday discussed were the Building Bridges initiative, efforts to resolve the conflict in South Sudan and the planned trip by former US President Barrack Obama on July 16.

Raila failed to disclose further details of the meeting only stating: "The US Ambassador to Kenya, @BobGodec called on me at Capitol Hill sq. We discussed the efforts to restore peace in South Sudan, developments in the Building Bridges Initiative and the upcoming visit by former President @BarackObama."

Raila played a key role in efforts to bring South Sudan President Salva Kiir and exiled opposition leader Riek Machar to the negotiating table after two years of incessant hostilities.

[caption caption="NASA Leader Raila Odinga with US Ambassador Bob Godec on 22/06/2018"][/caption]

The two leaders met and shook hands at Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) peace talks in Addis Ababa on Thursday in an event that was attended by President Kenyatta.

Uhuru, who is also the rapporteur of the IGAD peace process, asked Kiir and Machar to capitalize on the momentum by getting the people of South Sudan to support the full implementation of a peace agreement.

Raila had previously met Kiir and Machar in Juba and South Africa respectively as a special envoy, offering to mediate talks between the leaders and giving assurances that Machar's allies in Kenya would be protected.

State House Deputy Spokesperson Kanze Dena confirmed on Wednesday that the planned visit by Obama along with a 350-strong delegation that includes Oprah Winfrey and Aliko Dangote was still on course.

"The US delegation will be led by Under Secretary for International Trade Gil Kaplan and members of the US President's Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa," she noted.

[caption caption="State House Deputy Spokesperson Kanze Dena"][/caption]