A handshake that shook the whole country

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

The March 9, 2018 handshake has shaped the Kenyan social and political landscape in unexpected ways. Two years down the line, the handshake has made nonsense of the notion of political opposition in the country. Opposition chiefs easily fall over one another in ingratiating efforts to attract the President’s eye. An invitation to State House is a cherished happening, as is a photo opportunity with the Head of State.  

Without a doubt, ODM leader Raila Odinga is, in the mind of most Kenyans, the emblematic representation of the opposition. Yet, thanks to the handshake that ended the animus between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta, he easily stands out as the foremost State apologist today.