Raila Odinga is hostage to non-reformists

Watching CORD leader Raila Odinga teargased outside the precincts of IEBC, tears welled up in my eyes. Here was an old man, who has fought so hard for me and the rest of Kenyans for a freer country.

However, that film of tears quickly turned into anger. Not at Raila. No. How can one be angry at a man who has sacrificed personal freedom for an entire nation? My fury was directed at the young, energetic and learned Parliamentarians and Senators, who were urging on the mzee to side step established procedure of removing IEBC commissioners.

Raila’s friends and foes agree, the man has done a lot to improve democratic space in Kenya. But to have political neophytes backed up by the now ageing Young Turks of the Second Liberation goading Jakom to pick up a fight on the streets, is abhorrent.

One would imagine that such intellectuals as James Orengo (Senator), Prof Anyang' Nyong’o (Senator), Kiraitu Murungi (Senator), Prof Kivutha Kibwana (Governor) and Dr Willy Mutunga (Chief Justice) would now be leading a structured and constitutional call for reconstitution of IEBC.

For, is it not because of Raila’s fight for constitutional reforms and democratic space that most, if not all of them, rode on into Parliament and Senate? Without Raila pushing the boundaries it is difficult to see how John Mbadi, Tom Kajwang', Jakoyo Midiwo, Agostino Neto, Junet Mohamed, Nyong’o and Orengo, would ever have seen the inside of Parliament.

Yet, with Raila out of Parliament like you and I, these legislators have failed to crystalise IEBC’s questionable procurement of the BVR kit — what is now called “chicken gate” — to build up a case that Speaker Justin Muturi would have no option, but to refer it to President Uhuru Kenyatta for action.

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Instead, they have chosen silence and at best goad Jakom into mass action disguised as picketing.

Chapter 15, article 251 (2) provides for the removal of IEBC official (s): “ A person desiring the removal of a member of a commission or of a holder of an independent office on any ground specified in clause (1) may present a petition to the National Assembly setting out the alleged facts constituting that ground. This begs the question: What is so difficult for these legislators to put together a water-tight case to prompt reconstitution of IEBC? The answer is, these legislators are no reformists. Like the kin who would use a blind person to beg on the streets for personal use, they learnt it is profitable to drag Raila around into thick teargas.