President Uhuru Kenyatta walks right into Raila Odinga's trap

Even if you are one of those who ask why there is one man in the field who runs but never touches the ball, you must have seen this. As the match progresses and a goal is needed to break a tie, avoid penalty shootout or take the trophy, adrenalin levels keep surging.

But as anxiety runs high, with the corresponding determination to crush the other side, chances of scoring an own goal are high.

This is because long and blind shots get many; everyone is struggling to score and so the area around the goal posts is crowded.

Then the jitters and raw emotions take over the souls of the players as the cheering spectators demand victory. At this stage anything can go wrong and punch-ups aren't a rarity. It is at this point that hooligans easily leave the terraces to go wring the neck of the referee or the lines-person.

At this point, the player at the greatest risk of suffering a broken leg is the one who poses the greatest risk to the other side. That is why red cards are doled out generously because the players now would risk being sent out for any violation so long as they stop a goal.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now at this stage in Kenya.

We have two teams in the field, one called Jubilee led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and the other one, CORD, led by Raila Odinga. The match is in the dying moments of a tension-packed second-half but there will be a return match.

The first-half began some time in 2012 and ended dramatically with the referee declaring that there would be no penalty shootout, meaning the 50+1 rule had been met by Raila's opponents. The Raila team appealed but lost.

On his side, Uhuru has dependable players such as Ruto, who hangs around the goalmouth and three cantankerous defenders; Aden Duale, Mike Sonko and Kipchumba Murkomen.

There is apprehension in the team that these ones talk too much and play less, but since they hang around the captain and deputy most of the time, they have excelled more for the epithets they throw at the other side than the number of times they touch the ball.

Raila on the other hand has such unpredictable players as Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang'ula because they have their own teams from which they have loaned Raila a few players. But their body language and pronouncement suggest that if either of them don't get the captain's armband they can either risk going solo or cutting deals with Uhuru and Ruto. Of course such an agreement would involve some sweet pies, big enough to flash across the computer screen of Dr Patrick Njoroge at his Central Bank of Kenya's Governor's office.

As we have said before, the Uhuru team has many other players on the reserve bench but with the State largesse he can afford to keep and lure even more, not so much to play, but to keep them away from Raila.

Raila has one disadvantage; the nomination hurdle to pick the flag bearer. He also doesn't have the knife and the State yam to dole out around the country while Uhuru and Ruto are 'tengaring' (dishing out!) free pies; then there is that shadow of age and recent birthday, that Grand Coalition misadventure and blame-sharing, as well as receding memories of how radicalism changed the political terrain in Kenya and the part he played.

Raila is, however, known for one cunning trick; luring the opponent to play dirty and look to the world no different from Uncle Robert Mugabe and our not-so-good neighbour Yoweri Museveni and he Kenya's answer to Besigye.

See, by calling his bluff on IEBC commissioners, Uhuru and Ruto have entered into Raila's trap, first by looking draconian and secondly, reinforcing the perception that Jubilee and IEBC commissioners never left the bed they shared in 2013.

Thirdly, they have given Raila the bolt to be the fulcrum of Kenya's politics while pushing to the back burner their claim that the Son of Odinga was both responsible for and was gratified by their ICC woes.

Yes, Raila has managed to lure Uhuru into playing rough by pricking his ego and stirring his bowels of anger, and so a few limbs will be broken and ribs torn as the tear-gas clouds engulf Kenya.

At risk for Uhuru and Ruto to lose is the notion of modernity and 'digitality' on which they have been marketing themselves. Meanwhile, Uhuru's abrasive response has put IEBC in another awkward position where it seems to be an appendage of Uhuru-Ruto.

Regardless of the eventual outcome in August next year, one can just say of the intervening period; baado mambo or as the American's would say, you haven't seen nothing yet! After all, both sides are endowed with hooligans and rogue players.

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I have a lot to say about Mama Lucy Kibaki. She featured so much in my writing from 2002. In May 2010, she fired a volley at myself and columnist Macharia Gaitho, accusing us of all manner of things, the gist being that we disrespected her, her family and her hubby.

I will be saying more in days to come. But for today, just one little prayer: Rest in Peace Mum and may God hold your family by His hand and light the path they walk in this darkness they find themselves in.