Homa Bay by-election victory not worthwhile for Raila

The results for Homa Bay are in. And just like in Siaya, the supposed grassroots rebellion against Raila Odinga appears to have been stillborn. In the end, CORD and Raila managed to ram a political neophyte down the throats of the people of Homa Bay. CORD’s victory burnished the credentials of Raila as still the undisputed Kingmaker in Nyanza region. But it was a loss for the people of Homa Bay. It also means that Raila’s chances of becoming president in 2017 just got a little slimmer. In other words, Homa Bay was a pyrrhic victory for Raila.

Here is why: Any political analyst worth their salt will tell you that part of the reason Raila lost in the last election was because of the nomination fiasco that rocked ODM and CORD ahead of the General Election. The lack of grassroots democracy played a role in limiting turnout in crucial parts of the country. Disaffected voters felt that their vote did not matter, and stayed home. One would have hoped that for the sake of democracy, CORD would have learned from this. But apparently, they have not. Internal politics within CORD is still very much a top-down affair. Orange House calls the shots, and everyone has to toe the line or become political history.