Shitemi Bright
Mr Odinga is probably perched in a top hotel in Addis. As he stares into the distance, eyes half closed he reminisces on his political career. In a few days he is about to face yet another election, this time for AU chairmanship. He has for the past year been on the campaign trail funded by tax payers, but it is for good reason, he must think. He has faced so many heartbreaks, it doesn’t help that he is an Arsenal fan to add on to the list of losses, but he smiles because while he has never been President he has benefited and held sway in all the regimes from Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru to now Ruto. He has also accumulated fabulous wealth, probably a dollar billionaire, unlike his father Jaramogi he doesn’t spend the sunset years or his political career in “opposition“. He takes one deep breathe wipes his eyes in his usual manner and sleeps with a smile. Why not? Even when he loses he wins and back home he holds a lot of aces. His nemesis Mr Ruto is his to have. Infact Ruto wants him to win AU chairmanship more than he does.
You wonder why the government sanctions 100+ parliamentarians to travel on tax payer money to Addis? Ahem.
But who is Raila? Many a Gen Z do not know the origins or the history of this political collosus.
Raila came into politics by grabbing and taking opportunities despite being a son of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. He was not a polished politician like a Tom Mboya and in the initial years was more known for mobilization and confrontational politics. He did not wait to be annointed by his father to be the next Luo kingpin, he took it much to his chagrin. Among his first major acts was being implicated in the unsuccessful 1982 coup, this is something that alienated him from many but also drew a lot of admirers especially from the Gen Z of yore. Fortunately for him, his alleged role in the coup did not end as bad as it did for others who were hanged by Moi.
On 4th July 1990 at the age of 48 Raila was arrested and detained by President Moi. A third time to be detained without trial but one that would launch him into mainstream politics. Raila became one of the key figures of the resistance with Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia running a campaign for multiparty democracy.
When Moi released him he fled to Norway and came back in 1992 when he clinched the Langat’a parliamentary seat under Ford Kenya. When his father died in 1994 he wasted no time in challenging then party chairman Kijana Wamalwa but lost, he resigned and joined NDP but not before he unleashed men in black on Wamalwa and his supporters (sounds familiar?)
Come 1997 he became MP and led his NDP party to merge with Kanu and his previous tormentor Mzee Moi. The first handshake.
Long story short since the first handshake where he served as Energy Minister for Moi and Kanu’s Sec Gen, Raila has been in all governments through hand shakes or hand cheques for some who maybe privy to more details .
Raila has always somehow managed to preach opposition and drink government. He is a political artist who knows what button to press, how and when and his go to move is always to create a siege mentality for his fanatical supporters. To many of his blind witnesses he can do no wrong. To those who take power he is the enemy you would rather share the bed with than have out there creating havoc.
The events of June 25th though stole Raila’s thunder. For the first time there were national protests with devastating consequences that he had nothing to do about but that he could have inspired through his years in the “streets”. For those who claimed he betrayed them when he joined Kanu, then Kibaki and Uhuru.. he had one more chance to do that with Ruto. This time the political orphans were the hapless Gen Z and millennials ( myself included) who thought we had the government by the balls. His entry into government and planned exit from politics via the AU chairmanship is a landmark moment that could spell the end to his powerful influence in politics. One gets the sense that his grip has loosened, or has it? If he wins he plans to inherit his supported to Ruto , you can tell from the rhetoric. But if he loses he will come back like he never left and has also cleverly set himself up for this possibility.
This time however there are more forces at play and no one really knows where the political wind will blow. What’s for sure is that a generational change and shift is happening, it’s a matter on when not if. In any case Father Time has never been defeated.
For me Raila’s legacy is going to feature these three key moments.
1 . Multiparty democracy.
This has to to with the repeal of section 2A making Kenya a multiparty state. Raila was one of the leading voices. As the most astute politician he took political capital for this for the longest period. On the other side were people like Kalonzo Musyoka and even Mwai Kibaki who famously quipped that Kanu is like the Mugumo tree that could not be cut down by a razor blade
2. 2010 constitution.
Raila Odinga was at the forefront of the push for a new constitution. It is debatable now if it was a red herring for political ends but he did it against powerful forces. A few years earlier he had led the orange movement to defeat Kibaki’s banana team for a new constitution. Experts can tell us what was the material difference between these two documents, my hunch is it was about political power – presidential vs parliamentary system and the powers of a President. It’s always about power.
3. Ruto handshake.
Here is some context , I was born in 1990 but I have been a keen follower of politics and learned history from the feet of wazees more than the history books and GHC. The first time I voted was for the new constitution in 2010, and I have since then never seen the reason to vote because I had enough knowledge to know that the political system and establishment was rotten to the core. People you believe stopped playing politics for policies and issues that matter but for capital and deepening their own pockets, from either side. That’s why this handshake with Ruto for me reinforced this reality that it’s not about Kenyans. Infact , maybe it has never been about Kenya and Kenyans. And that’s why we started Kikao, to redefine our political culture and values because anything else is a waste of time. It starts with political financing . More of this on another piece.
Be the change that you wish for, join the movement kikao.live
PS: The above opinions are my own.
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