CORD principals Moses Wetangula,Raila Odinga(center) and Kalonzo Musyoka at Raila’s office.
BY THOMAS KARIUKI.
@njoroge19
This unabridged truth will rub millions of Raila supporters the wrong way. However I would rather be crucified for being the true prophet to the Cord leader rather than a glorified Fortunato who is lying to him.
If Raila is to stand a chance to be in power in 2017, he should forget his presidential bid; support someone else (there are decent performing governors from the coalition) or either of his co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula.
This worthy gamble will ensure he remains in power. What makes it well-intentioned? Allow me to give you a riposte at the tale of this piece.
A similar outfit as that of 2013, which never delivered, will make sure that Raila loses again ‘pants down’ in 2017. It is rightly said that today’s formula for success will be tomorrow’s recipe for failure. In an interview with a local station, Raila said, “We can beat Jubilee; the team we used in 2013 is a winning team.”
If the team was the winning glitter, then, it would have won the 2013 elections. However sad it may look, Raila should get rid of the garbage inside the team and create a winning team. Raila is surrounded by ‘used postage stamps’; they have no use now. Their ability died when they were unable to deliver results in 2013, how then will Raila use the same stamps for 2017. Its either he replaces the old ones, or scouts for new stamps.
No one will dispute that Raila has made his indomitable life mark in Kenya’s politics. His story script is dated since Kenya gained independence. Should he allow erasers wipe out that legacy he has built throughout his life?
I wish to point out something, if you happen to visit a cemetery, you’ll see that on the graves are the dates when one is born, a hyphen and the date when they passed on. The dates when one was born in and died matter less to anyone. But the hyphen, yes it is very important. It is the one carrying the whole lifetime of the deceased; the challenges, triumphs and it is also the one that holds the legacy of the departed.
The question now is can Raila give up his own political career for someone else?
In my 25 years stay in Kenya, I would love to say that a selfless leader like Raila Odinga can and will relinquish his bid for the betterment of the common mwanainchi who he has been championing for over the years.
Raila did it in 2002 when he, together with his political comrades endorsed former President Mwai Kibaki; remember the Kibaki Tosha slogan, which eventually ousted the old regime of President Daniel Moi.
The culmination of that win I dare say was not the taking over of power but how a united front could topple a sitting government. Raila knows this better. To bring a united front, Raila could give another person the opportunity to try his fluke at the presidency reaffirming to Kenyans that he is the leader he is claimed to be. I also dare say that it doesn’t have to be Steve or Weta.
It has been said that this may be his last bullet at the presidency and that Raila will do anything possibly human within his spheres to get power. I wish to give him this better option because it appears that those who surround and like to appear as if they support him cannot and will not allow Raila’s support lose the eye of their voters. In essence, this means that he is just surrounded by a bunch of selfish leaders who only derive their constituents support on being seen to support him. Have you seen during media briefing how some strategically place themselves behind him?
From the world I come from, Raila has a high chance of winning the 2017 polls and this is how. Did you know of a lady by the name Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma, Myanmar, she is the most popular politician in Myanmar, she also had eyes for the high office-the presidency-this makes the both of you Mr Odinga. This is just a snapshot of her.
Ms Kyi fought for a democratic government in a militarized system. Having been arrested numerous times, detained and at times forced to stay indoors, Ms Kyi has never lost sight of a democratic government just like Mr Odinga champions.
She is the centre piece of Myanmar leadership, loved by many Ms Kyi is the most powerful politician and holds the most influential office in the government led by his school friend Htin Kyaw. She is the State Counselor of Myanmar and heads four cabinet posts including Foreign Affairs, Education, Energy and president’s office likened to a prime-minister role.
Ms Kyi gave up her presidential bid over a military order against her not to run for president. With a million ways to kill a rat, she gave her close friend the opportunity. However, she enjoys commanding control being at the helm of Myanmar government leadership.
I would like to urge the Cord leader to borrow a leaf from Ms Kyi. To beat his unsurmountable arch-rivals UHURUTO, Raila could change tact and give his worthy opponents a run for the presidency.
The well intentioned move could have Raila have majority of the government leaders come from his ODM party and the minority other shared by the coalition members. He could also enter into a pact with his preferred president to be in-charge of several cabinet posts.
Enigmatic as he is often described in Kenya’s politics, Raila now has an extra bullet to spend in the 2017 polls. Will he decide to use it or not, that can only be his consideration?
Failure to use this bullet may destabilize Cord coalition having given an opportunity to Weta and Steve who while launching their presidential bid are saying, we have matured from boys to men, our voices can no longer be ignored, and we are equal partners in the Cord coalition.
This basically means that whatever Raila can do, Wetangula and Kalonzo believe they can do if not better. Their tune is almost identical to that of the coalition leader, give me your support and I will win against Jubilee. Allow me not call this democracy but reality; we do not live in democracies but in reality, real life.
If Raila is to ignore his coalition co-principals, a walkout is imminent and this may mean Raila will lose against a unified Jubilee fascia.
I will leave it to the coalition to decide whether it will endorse the son of Mulembe or shift its eyes to the Mwingi statesman or fatefully ignore this piece.
