Kenya is now over 55 years old now. Raila Odinga the son of Kenya’s first vice president is 78 years old.
When Kenya gained its independence from the British in 1963 and became fully independent in 1964; the first President of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta promised to fight Poverty, Ignorance and Disease. That is still a long shot dream, over 50 years later, even though the population then was smaller than it is now.
Kenya is strategically located in East Africa and for many years before Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto (UhuRuto) came to power; it was the envy of many east African nations. A country with working industries, better public financial management, infrastructure, activism and hardworking people.
However, since then what has changed?
We’ve learnt that in electing UhuRuto, both with cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC), we blundered in that we committed the sin of the century by electing ‘unsuitable’ persons to the highest office in the land.
Most of us, have lived to regret but possibly majority, going by the sentiments online and offline, now wish for a different regime and course.
As Noah Webster, puts it, ‘When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility and he betrays the interest of his country’.
Kenya has always been a tribal nation. In that case, Uhuru and Ruto were elected on the conviction that, they representing the Kikuyu and Kalenjin nations were being sacrificed by the ‘others’ at the ICC. They galvanized support from their tribes and sympathizers and managed to ‘win’ the elections. I put win in quotes since everyone of notable character who has read most of the analysis about the 2013 general elections know that 2 million votes that put Uhuru and Ruto ahead of Raila and Kalonzo have never been explained thoroughly even by the elections body, IEBC.
But it is true that rigging also requires convincing the minds of the people that one is unstoppable.
See, Kenya has conducted opaque elections since multiparty democracy returned in 1992. There have never been credible elections in Kenya. The 2002 elections were better since, elections are not only about numbers but also about hearts and minds. Thus that 2002 elections managed to convince in both those scenarios. The idea of a Stanley Emilio Mwai Kibaki presidency was totally sold out to Kenyans en masse and Kenyans agreed with their hearts and their minds.
Fast forward to post Kibaki era; the country is reeling under the heavy yoke of corruption, open mismanagement and incompetence, debts, impunity, mediocrity, immorality, gluttony, hunger, unemployment and disease. Anyone who does not see the above sins is part of the problem.
However, everyone has their own set of eyes, and what might appear as a road to hell might seem heavenly to the looters and their surrogate.
You might as well go ahead and defend UhuRuto as having worked but you haven’t factored in the direction that we had started under Kibaki, the healing and restoration that Mwai did after 16 out of 24 years of mismanagement by Daniel Moi.
Raila Odinga has been at the forefront of fighting for social justice since the late 70s. Most of the people reading this don’t know that during the 80s and 90s, Kenya was under a dictatorship that didn’t hesitate to eliminate political opponents through accidents, disappearances and detentions to name but a few. Most have not read how a one party rule managed to divide Kenyans along tribal lines and how in the 90s, state corporations were looted, public finance mismanaged and tribalism and nepotism were the order of the day. It is important to be aware that Kenya was sidelined internationally during the last part of the Daniel Moi presidency. (Currently, our neighbors, i.e. Tanzania, Uganda have sidelined us in most deals, e.g. LAPSETT, oil pipleines, though we are in the flimsy and creaking East Africa Community – EAC)
KANU under Moi was hell, but the likes of Raila Odinga, Rev. Njoya, James Orengo, Kenneth Matiba, Masinde Muliro, Charles Rubia and many countless others fought in the streets to bring back sanity which eventually culminated to the defeat of KANU at the 2002 General elections.
Through their actions to RESIST corruption, mismanagement of public funds, mediocrity and authoritarian rule, our country was safely put on the path of restoration though a Kibaki and later Kibaki/Raila leadership.
It is often claimed that Raila Odinga was once a part of KANU. Let me state clearly that Raila was never a staunch KANU not at heart, not with his mind. Raila just calculated on how to defeat the dragon and he did it so well.
Most of the liberators of their people, have some things in common, they are always consistent in terms of their message. Raila has been consistent in his message of an equitable Kenya where the distribution of resources is equal and fair and just. Listening to most people who know the man, I can assure you that Raila is true to that course and that he is feared by the corrupt, greedy and malevolent men who have always benefited from a corrupt and dysfunctional system where people go to bed hungry and celebrate handouts and mediocrity.
We need the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) Report implemented for Kenya to heal.
We need the land laws enforced and land injustices addressed.
We need a suitable and working Public Finance Management and our taxes providing the services that we require.
Above all, we need the youths in all parts of the country in employment. It is very absurd that a fish factory is Kenya is found in Thika and Meru. Very absurd. Raila promised in 2016, to have at least one major industry in the 8 regions of Kenya. He has improved his argument with an economic model for rural areas in 2021.
As it currently, stands, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party and whatever alliance it might form headed by Raila Odinga is representative of all regions of the country as opposed to UDA Party, led by William Ruto, which is tribal outfit, fronted and carried by mostly one tribe.
In order to end mediocrity, corruption, unemployment and to defeat the paid pollsters who claim that less than 55% of Kenyans support Raila Odinga. Come the 8th of August 2022. Kenyans from all regions and walks of life know better. Kenyans will elect Raila Amolo Odinga because he’s been consistent, his promises are true, they are fine, and they are just.
