Politically speaking, opposition leader Raila Odinga is past his ‘sell-by’ date. Let’s face it; he is a spent force. Were it not for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s lying, corrupt and tribal government, Agwambo would be history. Uhuru’s poor leadership, especially the wanton looting of public funds under his watch, is what has given Raila a political lifeline.
Just the other day, Uhuru tried to divert attention from the mega corruption scams plaguing his administration by claiming Raila is bad for the economy. If you ask some economists, they will say he probably is. Keeping the country in campaign mode since 2005 cannot be good for the economy. But that is not the problem. The president needs to know that Raila’s career was in the doldrums after the ‘men-in-black’ fiasco in Kasarani.
ODM’s emptiness, hooliganism and incompetence was on display on live television for the whole world to see. It is the singular most embarrassing political fiasco for any politician anywhere in the world, save for banana republics ruled by militias and buffoons. To make things worse, we had been warned, “ODM ina wenyewe”. And true to form we saw the owners. In their true orange colours; chaotic, undemocratic, hooliganic and unrepentant.
I have insisted that in the civilised world, no politician would have survived such a debased, primitive and chaotic election. And any self-respecting politician would have resigned. Kenyan politics, however, does not qualify for a civilised world and we have no self-respecting politicians. Our politics are firmly grounded in ethnicity, impunity and mediocrity, siasa ya ukabila, ukora na upuzi. So much so that even after such a shameful catastrophe, we are told by some worshipers that Raila is still baba, mwana na roho mtakatifu!
So, what made a person so embarrassed, discredited and exposed revive his dwindling political fortunes and become a contender even with the history of chaos and hooliganism hanging around his neck? The answer is simple: The cluelessness, thievery and tribal jingoism of Uhurus’s Jubilee government! Honestly, had the Jubilee government delivered in the eyes of the people, Raila would be history. That he is always in the headlines is thanks to the amateur and thuggish job done by Jubilee. Where did the rain start beating Jubilee? What was the “original sin”? Lies!
Jubilee government was founded on a lie. We were told that the ICC cases that the Jubilee duo had were a small “personal problem”. This was a lie. It was actually the reason why they sought power and as soon as they acquired power, the small personal problem was bound to become a Pan-African and a global problem. By the time they, through hook and crook, got the cases scuttled, the regime was already in trouble. Some of the thieves they appointed in government had looted from the people with reckless abandon.
