Since losing his bid for the the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has become an attractive specimen for vitriol. That is democracy at work.

Noticeably however, Raila has become a target of sustained condemnation by his former comrades-in-arms within the Opposition ranks who feel he has betrayed them and their cause by teaming up with President William Ruto in their so-called Broad-Based amorphous government.

On arrival in Kenya one week after his flopped attempt for the AUC seat, Raila went straight into a meeting with Ruto at State House, Mombasa.

Details of their meeting emerged on Friday last week at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) where the duo signed a partnership pact through which they pledged to work together for national good. That move has not gone down well with a considerable percentage of Kenyans. Particularly incensed by Raila’s decision are his counterparts in the deflated Azimio La Umoja coalition who rallied behind his presidential candidacy in 2022.

Human like us

The Azimio luminaries led by former vice-president Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, former Defence Minister Eugene Wamalwa, former Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni and their new-found ally in impeached Deputy President Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua have since gone hammer-and-tongs at Raila whom they blame for betraying them.

I disagree with those who are hurling brickbats at the former Prime Minister. Raila, the son of revered departed statesman Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, is 80 years now.

Raila has done his bit. He has relentlessly traversed the Kenyan political terrain in pursuit of democracy and good governance. In between these 40 plus years, Raila has – being human like the rest of us – faltered, stumbled and floundered. But he has kept on wiping away his frustrations and moving forward.

Instead of turning themselves into mere cry-babies, Raila’s critics would rather take time to analyse the man’s achievements, accord him his respects and allow him to chart his political future. Let those fault-finding Raila now try to play their part in the fight for democracy and good governance. Raila is an unpredictable politician. No one can tell how his rapprochement with Ruto will last. Only he knows whether he will run for Presidency in 2027, will back Ruto or support someone else.

Be that as it may, my position is that Raila should be allowed to exercise all his freedoms, including expression, association and worship unfettered whatever the repercussions.

Instead of chastising Raila, what I would rather pray for is for Kalonzo to mobilise his Azimio team and other forces beyond it into a formidable ensemble that can convincingly take on Ruto in 2027. It does not make sense to make Raila look like a demi-god destined for Opposition politics to fight for us all while we stand on the periphery. Fighting for quality leadership and good governance should be the responsibility of each one of us, and not the assignment of Raila.

Fight for democracy

The fight for democracy in Kenya has not been easy. It has been a long, winding, painful and even tragic crusade. Lives have been lost and others maimed in this process. To our utter dismay, we have not accorded respect to those who spearheaded this fight, especially the key players in the Second Liberation. Masinde Muliro, Kenneth Matiba, George Anyona, Martin Shikuku, Chelegat Mutai, Charles Rubia, George Nthenge, Wangari Muta Mathai and Ahmed Bahmariz are among the sons and daughters of the soil who have left us but who while alive stuck their necks out to push for democracy in Kenya. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Still with us from the Second Liberation brackets include Siaya Senator James Orengo, Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang Nyong’o, former Kabete MP Paul Kibugi Muite, former Runyejes MP Augustine Njeru Kathangu, lawyers Gitobu Imathiu Imanyara and Rumba Kinuthia, former Nakuru North MP Koigii wa Wamwere, former Cabinet Ministers Mukhisa Kituyi, Kiraitu Murungi, Martha Karua and Kivutha Kibwana. We owe them a debt of gratitude, too. We would not be beseeching or fighting over Raila’s support had we treated respectfully the persons who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today.

Political betrayal

We have over the years thrown spite at them and isolated them in corners of scorn and ridicule, only remembering them when matters relating to governance go awry. No wonder, some of them have – possibly out of frustration – opted to play ball alongside the establishment in successive regimes. That is how we have managed to grow a larger-than-life specimen from Raila.

In his chequered political career, Raila has, of course, let down many people. So has he in turn been let down. Many times. As recent as March 2018, Raila who had been a presidential candidate in an election held the previous year abandoned his NASA coalition’s Kalonzo, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula to team up with then President Uhuru Kenyatta in what was later to be known as the handshake.

The trio noisily lamented about Raila’s betrayal for three years. In January of 2022, Mudavadi and Wetangula went to team up with the then Deputy President William Ruto to form the now ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition while Kalonzo later followed Raila in Azimio joined by Uhuru and Karua to support Raila’s presidential bid.

Though not the only one, I make reference to this incident because – save for the emerging young leadership that has been brought to the fore courtesy of the Gen-Z uprising of last year – none of the current politicians angling for the presidency today has the moral authority to fault-find another on matters of political betrayal.

They all have betrayed each other, betrayed the Kenyan voter and betrayed their religious beliefs. Without a doubt, most of the persons posturing as saints today are no better than Raila. Instead of wasting our time and energy lambasting Raila for his actions, let us purpose to push for our rights, the rule of law and good governance. We must learn to fight for ourselves.

Of particular significance, I would like to see Kalonzo take the lead on this front. Since January last year, I have repeatedly stated that in the absence of Uhuru and Raila on the ballot, Kalonzo is the undisputed first-among-equals ripe and right person within Kenya’s Opposition ranks with convincing credentials to competently take on President Ruto in 2027. I still maintain so.

2022 elections

However, I am not sure whether Kalonzo himself is awake to this reality and if he is ready to take the gauntlet for that purpose. When I first wrote on the subject in January last year, I asked Kalonzo to move fast and make himself marketable to Kenya’s youths and also seek to identify himself with the eight million registered voters who had not voted for either Ruto or Raila in 2022. I am afraid Kalonzo has so far not been able to strategically position himself to attain that objective. In June last year, Kenya’s youths took to the streets to protest the excesses of the Kenya Kwanza regime.

A previously uncompromising Ruto eventually gave into most of their demands. Though not active today as they were last year, the Gen-Zs have morphed into a force to reckon with, devoid of the old guard. None of them has come out to identify with Kalonzo Musyoka. Neither has he been seen going out to seek for them. That is a yawning blow.

Additionally, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is the overall leader of the Azimio La Umoja coalition has repeatedly stated that they would support the presidential candidacy of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. Furthermore, Raila whose previous presidential bids have been supported by Kalonzo himself a record four times appears to prefer his opponent in the 2022 elections, Ruto to Kalonzo. Never mind that Karua, who was was Raila’s running-mate in 2022 has since bolted out of Azimio and declared that she would be gunning for the presidency in the next election.

Even as I vouch for Kalonzo to carry the banner of the Opposition in 2027 against Ruto, I am beginning to wonder why stalwarts who have closely worked with him like Uhuru, Raila and Karua do not have faith in him being their automatic flag-beater 2027. It is against this background that I urge Kalonzo and his comrades-in-arms in the Opposition to stop whining about Raila’s dalliance with Ruto. Their lamentations only make Raila look as if he is indispensable and immortal. Yet he is not. Please, let us leave Raila alone and do our bit.

–The author is a Revise Editor with the People Daily newspaper.