The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, was gifted a new Range Rover in Dubai during the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020, United Arabs Emirates.
A source privy to the happenings detailed that Raila received the gift at a private event and from a business mogul based in Dubai.
“I cannot delve into the details of the model and who presented it to the former Prime Minister, but yes I have the report that he was gifted,” the insider told Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, October 4.
He refuted reports that the African Union High Representative of Infrastructure Development was gifted the 2022 Range Rover Vogue model.
Another source close to Raila’s circle added that the ODM leader was invited to more private events which were planned during his past tours in Dubai.
“As a politician, he toured the UAE and attended events that were not covered by the media. Some events discussed his influence across the globe and the 2022 General Election,” he stated.
Raila travelled to Dubai on Wednesday, October 27. His spokesperson, Dennis Onyango announced that he left at 4pm via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Reports that were shared widely had claimed that Raila received a bulletproof Range Rover Vogue model that was launched a week ago. This was flagged as fake news.
“The high-end car has a hybrid engine, a 523-horsepower, 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8. This Raila Range Rover is able to opt for a mild-hybrid setup that features a turbocharged inline-6; that powertrain sees a 40-horsepower bump from 355 to 395.
“The platform also supports future powertrain architectures, including a 434-horsepower mild hybrid in 2023 (vs. 395 previously) that supports 62 miles of electric driving and a battery-electric version in 2024,” a Facebook user alleged, a false claim that was shared widely.
Range Rover was expected to launch two plug-in hybrid options. The first, badged P440e, combines a 3.0-litre straight-six turbocharged petrol engine with a 38.2kWh battery (31.8kWh usable) and a 141bhp electric motor for a total combined output of 434bhp and 620Nm of torque.
The second option, badged P510e, offers more power from its 3.0-litre petrol unit but uses the same battery and electric motor, taking the total combined output to 503bhp and 700Nm of torque, delivering a 5.7-second 0-62mph time. The vehicle can attain a top speed of 87mph in the car’s EV driving mode.
