Raila choice for ‘Lelo ni Lelo’ hit signals fight for Western
By dennis-lumiti, February 18, 2022ODM leader Raila Odinga’s choice of ‘Lelo ni Lelo’ hit song has lit the stage for a bruising battle for Kakamega county ahead of the August 9 General-Election.
Song was composed local musician, Emmanuel Musindi, in some small hotel at Khayega market in Shinyalu constituency ahead of the 2013 polls.
It was composed in support of one Benard Lukulu, who was contesting for the then Shisele Ward seat in Ikolomani constituency.
Lukulu went on to clinch the seat against all odds and thus, many locals believe the song brings some luck.
How it has attracted the attention of Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate and his team close to a decade later has baffled many.
Same camp
Political pundits and local leaders yesterday told People Daily that Raila’s choice for the song was significant in his pursuit to rekindle his fortunes in the county.
They said Raila views Kakamega and the entire Western region as his second most critical voting bloc after Nyanza and that he was using all means to win it back.
Raila is taking the battle to Amani National Congress boss Musalia Mudavadi after he joined forces with Deputy President William Ruto to birth the Kenya Kwanza Alliance. Mudavadi has been a close ally of Raila over the years.
He was the former Prime Minister’s running-mate in 2007 and the ODM chief negotiator in the Serena Peace Talks that came after that year’s post-election violence, a move that led to the formation of the Grand Coalition Government where he eventually served as Raila’s deputy.
The duo went separate ways in 2013 during which, both vied for the top seat and lost to the Uhuru Kenyatta-Ruto ticket.
Insiders say Raila believes he would have easily won the elections if he was in the same camp with the ANC leader.
They were back together in 2017 with Mudavadi managing the then National Super Alliance presidential candidate’s campaigns.
Thus, with Mudavadi having again divorced from the ODM leader, a new and even more vicious battle is expected in Kakamega, which has the highest number of votes in the Western region.
Analysts say Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya leader Moses Wetangula’s decision to join forces with Ruto rattled the Azimio camp in general, and Raila in particular.
“The Luhya nation has been a critical political ally of Raila. It has more votes than even his Nyanza home turf.
That is why he knows he must work overdrive in the absence of Mudavadi and Wetangula,” said Desterio Okumu, a political commentator from Matungu in Kakamega.
“The song ‘Lelo in Lelo’ is one of the strategies he is using to win over support. Only time will tell,” he added.
In the Idakho and Isukha dialects, the song loosely transalaates “now or never.”
Close ally
Leaders allied to both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza formations were each exuding confidence of victory when they spoke to People Daily yesterday. “Raila holds Luhyas in high regard.
He has never shied away from tracing his roots to the Mulembe nation. Choice of ‘Lelo in Lelo’ song as his signature tune ahead of the August elections is just a confirmation,” said Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka who until last month was a close ally of Mudavadi’s before decamping to Azimio, said he remained optimistic that his former party leader would decamp from Kenya Kwanza.
“It is so sad that my senior brother Mudavadi was auctioned to the highest bidder. But what does he stand to gain where he is? He would have even opted to go it alone than join Ruto,” he added.
Leaders allied to Azimio have changed tack and are now reaching out to locals through launch of development projects initiated by the National Government Constituency Development Fund and the county government of Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
They were in Khwisero at the weekend when the area MP launched projects in schools done through NG-CDF.
Kenya Kwanza is also digging in for a fight and have been camping in the region.