Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party flag-bearer, Raila Odinga, has cut short his tour of the US.
Raila, who is already in Washington DC, will travel back to the country on Wednesday, April 27, ahead of the late President Mwai Kibaki's state funeral service scheduled for Friday.
The Azimio candidate - who arrived in the US on Saturday - was set to spend a week in America meeting political leaders and Kenyans living in diaspora.
Raila will be joining other leaders led by President Uhuru Kenyatta in paying their last respect to the country's third President.
On the other hand, Raila will back on time to ensure he names his running mate before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) set deadline of Thursday, April 28.
IEBC had written to Raila and his presidential secretariat expressing that it was not willing to extend the deadline, further asking the presidential hopeful to ensure that he strictly follows the timelines.
During a town hall meeting with Kenyans living in the US in Washington DC, Raila reflected on his previous tour of the state in February 2020, noting that it coincided with the demise of Kenya's second President, Daniel Arap Moi.
He added that at the time, he had been invited alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta to attend a breakfast meeting - a trip which was cut short as the Head of State had to rush back to the country.
"I'm very delighted to be back again in Washington DC. The last time I was here was in 2020 during the Power Breakfast alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta. At the time, former President Moi had passed away."
"Uhuru rushed back to the country leaving me here. I travelled to Addis Ababa before going back to Kenya. Then shortly after the pandemic hit," narrated Raila.
"At times, it has not been possible to come back till now. As fate would have it, as I planned to come back, the third President, Mwai Kibaki, passed away. So I will be forced to cut short my trip in order to bury him."
The state funeral service will be held on Friday, April 29, a day Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, declared a national holiday to allow Kenyans pay their last respect to Kibaki.
Kibaki will be buried at his home in Othaya on Saturday, April 30.
