Whereas some Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya alliance functionaries maintain the August presidential election was bangled to disadvantage their candidate Raila Odinga, there has for long remained the question of whether there is any politician who can steadily stand up to be identified as the Opposition leader apart from the former Prime Minister.

Already, there is debate on whether the seat of Official Leader of the Opposition should formally be ratified by Parliament to firmly embed it in the Constitution. Raila has been ambivalent on that conversation. However, most Kenyans view him as the automatic occupier of that post should it eventually be anchored in law.

Which brings into question the relevance, if not credibility of the leaders in the Opposition outside Raila. Can Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kanu chairman Gideon Moi or Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua present a formidable Opposition — individually or collectively — in the absence of Raila?

It is often said between March 2018 and last August, the Jubilee administration did not have any Opposition to keep it in check because Raila had a handshake of co-operation with then President Uhuru Kenyatta and, therefore, no one could see any wrongdoing in government that time.

Yet, when Raila opted to work with the government, Kalonzo, Gideon, Karua, then Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula remained in the opposition. Not much came from their side to keep the government in check.

 Mudavadi and Wetang’ula were later to team up with then Deputy President William Ruto to form the Kenya Kwanza Alliance that thrust the former Eldoret North MP to presidency last August.

Mudavadi has since been appointed Prime Cabinet Secretary in Ruto’s government while Wetang’ula is the Speaker of the National Assembly.

On the other hand, Kalonzo, Gideon and Karua are still in the opposition where they are thriving under the massive political wings of Raila. It remains to be seen as to whether they can stand on their own feet without Raila’s support or umbrella.

There are a few things the trio will need to pronounce themselves on for the electorate to understand them, given that at the moment very little—save for Karua to some extent—is known about them in terms of what they stand for in spite of their long political career.

Kalonzo joined Parliament in 1985 and has held senior government positions since then, most of them ministerial portfolios. He even rose to become Vice President and even ran for the presidency in 2013. But has he mustered sufficient clout to make him an Opposition leader that  can put the government in check? I have no answer.

Karua has been in Parliament since 1992 and later rose to be a Cabinet minister in then President Kibaki administration and also contested the 2013 presidential elec-tion. She has a firm track record on human rights and defence of the rule of law, for which she is highly respected. But has she curved a national niche through which she can stage consistent Opposition leadership? I know not.

Gideon is the son of former long-serving President, rhe late Daniel arap Moi.  He has been a parliamentarian since 2002 first as Member of the National Assembly, representing Baringo Central, and later as senator for Baringo county. Does he play Opposition politics? I’m still finding out.

Among other subjects, it shall be use for Kenyans to know the individual views of Kalonzo, Karua and Gideon on matters to do with the economy, environment, health and transport. They should help Kenyans understand them. They should help Kenyans look at Opposition politics beyond the person of Raila Odinga.

— The writer is the Revise Editor at People Daily newspaper