Why Raila Odinga has no place in the Senate

Talk of Raila Odinga inheriting the late Senate Otieno Kajwang’s seat is misguided. It is misguided for a variety of reasons. First, it flies in the face of basic democratic principles. The voters in Homa Bay would not have a fair chance to elect a leader of their choice.

A leader that would be responsive to the needs of their county. Instead, they will be forced to accept a representative in the Senate preoccupied with national politics, at the expense of local needs of the people that he purports to represent.

This is unfair to the people of Homa Bay. Their right to a responsive leader should not be sacrificed on behalf of Raila’s personal political ambitions.

Second, Mr Odinga would be demeaning his stature as a statesman by joining the Senate, especially in light of his obvious ambitions of running for the presidency in 2017.

What would Raila do for Kenyans, and the people of Homa Bay, as a Senator that he currently cannot do as the leader of ODM and the de facto leader of CORD?

Lastly, by calling for him to join the Senate, CORD MPs have demonstrated their intellectual bankruptcy. These are people who have repeatedly confirmed our worst fears.

They dream, eat, and live politics. In other words, they do not see politics as a means to an end – the improvement of the welfare of Kenyans – but rather as a means in and of itself. This is the reason they want Odinga to become Senator, so he can have a platform to politic until the cows come home.

Forget coordinating the governorships that CORD controls. Forget devising regional development initiatives among the contiguous counties controlled by CORD as a way of showcasing to Kenyans his acumen as a leader who delivers.

Forget having a coherent agenda for Kenya and the provision of policy alternatives to the perennially bumbling Jubilee administration. Forget all of that. These guys are about politics. No more no less.

Clearly, this is a problem for Kenya. It means even a man of Mr Odinga’s stature still needs a political office for him to feel like he can effect change.

It means that we lack the imagination to solve our problems through carefully thought-out public policies. It means that we are still stuck in the past, believing that only politics can save us from poverty and general want.

It is my hope that ordinary wananchi will see this attempt to hoodwink us for what it is and reject it. Raila would not be serving in the Senate for the good of Kenyans, leave alone the people of Homa Bay. He would be occupying that seat for his own benefit and political ambition. This is a far cry from the public servant he wants us to believe he is.

It is also an unfortunate attempt to continue the process of tarnishing a brand that could have been used to effect great change.

 

If Raila is serious about running in 2017, now would have been the time to stay clear of politics in the trenches. He would have instead concentrated on coordinating his governors, to ensure they deliver for the people.

By so doing he would have convinced that he actually cares about the ugali na mboga issues that Kenyan families face. We shall forever be thankful to him for bringing about democratic change and reforms in Kenya.

But real material things also matter. And on this score it must be said that the former Prime Minister has been a colossal failure. He waxes eloquent when talking about injustices and democracy and normatively desirable values. But the man is not a doer. When it comes to the ugali na mboga issues he has singularly failed his constituents.

The fact of the matter is that Kenyans are materially poor. For this reason what we need are leaders who combine the abstract aspirations that Raila likes talking about with concrete achievements on the ground. We need roads, hospitals, schools, piped water, and proper sanitation.

Yes, reforming our institutions and making Kenya more democratic will help us achieve these objectives. But institutions do not build roads. People do. We need leaders who can take the next step after being elected an actually deliver.

I reiterate, if Mr Raila Odinga is serious about 2017 he is better advised to start amassing evidence that he can coordinate a national developmental agenda. Kenyans need a leader who is a doer on matters of security, development, among others; and not a mere debater in the Senate.