Raila Junior cutting political teeth or just outspoken?

Raila Junior with his father, Raila Odinga. Photo: Courtesy.

Raila Odinga Junior is definitely a man who needs no introduction. The son of Kenya's veteran politician, NASA leader Raila Odinga, is on record as describing himself as" both easy and difficult to define."

Unlike the many silent scions of  Kenya's political families, Raila Junior is rapidly becoming a household name not averse to controversy. At times one might be mistaken to think he loves contact sports.

As a frequent Twitter user, he has found himself in the eye of controversies involving known bloggers, politicians and even the common netizens.

His comments on matters of development, social life and trending topics make him stand out among the sons and daughters of the country's greatest leaders.

As a man whose public lifestyle will always attract the attention of the paparazzi and even provide fodder for the tabloids, he has never been shy. His tweets carry a myriad of demeanours that make it more difficult to describe him.

Apparently, he could be living up to the challenge thrown at him by his father eight years ago,  on his wedding. Father urged son not to follow people's advice blindly but to live his own life.

Just like any other human being,  Raila Jnr has the right to live his own life. But being the son of Kenya's most loved and feared politician we have no option than to sit back and ask, is Raila Junior punching above his weight?

Controversies

He has not only publicly disagreed with those rattling his father but he has also differed with the old man.

When a local daily on Tuesday ran an article on sacked sports minister Rashid Echesa's complaining that his children were demanding answers as to why their father was sacked, Raila junior was quick to quote the article with outrageous answers.

He tweeted: "Dear sir @EchesaRashid the following are options you can use, you either tell them you were sacked because of lack of Vision, incompetence, failure to follow up with a strategic plan, or because of all the aforementioned reasons".

Like his father, the ardent supporter of Arsenal football club also made a headline when he declared his support for growing marijuana in Kenya for medical use and as a way of growing the economy.

Quoting an article published by the local daily about a New York firm that was planning to grow marijuana in Kenya,  Raila junior tweeted; "Legalise, regulate, tax and grow the Economy,"

When his father was urging the NASA MPs to vote in support of 8 per cent increase on VAT for fuel products on September 2018, Raila junior differed with his father urging him to allow MPs to vote independently.

"Unfortunately as a Kenyan citizen, I am unconvinced by the statement put out by NASA on the VAT on Fuel, none of the conditions they've put up is measurable and even if they were they are nowhere near closing the deficit on the debt. I call for my MP Kenneth Okoth to reject," tweeted Raila Junior.

Looks like we can expect more from the scion of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga clan.