Coalition for Reforms and Democracy leader Raila Odinga on Thursday flew to South Africa where he will attend a conference on 'The Future of African Cities'.
The conference will focus on policy options for making cities liveable and economically more viable, his spokesperson Denis Onyang'o said in a statement shorty before his departure.
The event will be hosted by Brenthurst Foundation beginning Friday May 20.
There will be particular focus on experience of practitioners from South Africa, Morocco, United Kingdom, Nigeria and Kenya.
He will however, return to the country at the weekend to prepare for Monday's protests against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's commissioners' continued stay in office.
Cord is leading countrywide protests against the electoral body which it accuses of being biased against the opposition.
So far, the protests have been conducted three times although characterised with bloodshed accruing from what the opposition calls police brutality.
"Prosperity of the country is directly linked to well functioning, accountable and democratic institutions," Mr Odinga said before he left.
"The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission does not measure to this threshold. It is the single major source of uncertainty and conflict."
He has maintained the 2017 general elections will not be conducted under the current IEBC as constituted.
In all the demonstrations conducted, the three Cord Co-Principals, Mr Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula led Kenyans in demanding for the disbandment of the electoral body.
In the protests held on May 16, Kanu's Nick Salat joined in calling for the removal of IEBC chairman Isaack Hassan and his commissioners from office.