Coalition for Reforms and Democracy leader Raila Odinga will be in Meru today (Friday) to officially close the Third Annual Devolution Conference.

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The former Prime Minister will participate in panel discussions before closing the event hosted at the Meru National Polytechnic.

Raila was invited by the Council of Governors.

His spokesperson Denis Onyango on his official Facebook account said: "Hon Raila Odinga will be in Meru Friday morning to close the Third Annual Devolution Conference. He will arrive in Meru in time to sit through and participate in panel discussions before closing the conference."

Unlike during the Second Annual Devolution Conference in April 2015 in Kisumu where he shared a platform with President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Meru event will be unique as Uhuru will be absent.

President Kenyatta failed to attend the opening of the conference as he was represented by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri.

Raila is the brainchild of Devolution and he has been pushing for a referendum that seeks to increase funding to counties from the current 15 per cent to at least 45 per cent of the total national budget.