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ODM leader Raila Odinga could be the proverbial cat with nine lives. The enigma has a truckload of tricks-it can last an average politician 15 lifetimes.
Nevertheless, none of the tricks Agwambo has employed in the past has ever propelled him to presidency.
His latest trick is the famous March 9 handshake between him and president Kenyatta-one that helped quell chaos after the disputed 2017 presidential elections.
A friendly call from Uhuru-followed by a few drinks together-and Raila and Uhuru were best of buddies. Baba could not spit the juicy morsel good fortune had placed in his mouth.
Raila accepted the deal with open arms and has subsequently transformed from a bitter Jubilee critic to its foremost defender.
The President too has left no doubts in the minds of all nooks and crannies that his deal with Tinga is cast on stone, like the Ten Commandments Moses carried from Mt Sinai, only to meet the scoundrels he rescued from Egypt worshipping Baal.
Uhuru has come out very strongly to defend the handshake while referring to Mr Odinga as “my brother” in every public gathering where the camaraderie between him and Jakom is always in sufficient display.
The president’s kind gesture has energised Agwambo’s base, who are convinced that the president has thrown his deputy, a man they passionately dislike, under the bus, while elevating their political demigod to the stature of the second in command. Ahaa!
But politics is a dirty game-and there are many ways to kill a rat. Could the handshake be one of the ways Uhuru is using to kill the rat? Was Raila baited? Is Uhuru hiding some cards?
Well, we all know that Agwambo has been a thorn in Uhuru’s flesh. And truth be told, there was no way Uhuru would have ruled the country under the Tsunami of chaos Tinga had brewed before and after elections.
Concerned about his legacy and confronted with the possibility of the country imploding into pieces under his watch, the son of Ngina had no option but to tame the opposition leader.
To do this, he had two options; jail the son of Oginga or bring him on board. Sending him to prison was cataclysmic.
The president had no intention of starting a fire he knew would only take a miracle to put off. So he went for option two; to dangle the carrot, handshake! To his credit, Baba swallowed it hook, line and ODM sinker.
The handshake now being water under the bridge, the president seems to have effected a clever scheme to fatten Raila for slaughter. The strategy is multipronged, but I’ll talk about four.
One, Uhuru is deliberately dragging the implementation of their MoU with Mr Odinga. Building Bridges Initiative has been cashtrapped to deliver on its mandate.
This will ensure Raila doesn’t get all he bargained for. In the meantime, he’s throwing bones to him to keep him busy, and his base excited, as has been seen in the recent state appointments, while he takes the meat.
Two, Mr Odinga is now being accorded all state protocols in the country and abroad. This creates an impression that he holds nusu mkate of the government-which isn’t true.
Three, he’s being isolated from his co-principals whom he fell out with after the handshake and who may not team up with him in case Uhuru gives him Ahsante ya punda.
Four, Uhuru has unleashed his attack dogs and spindoctors to shower Mr Odinga with praises. Mutahi Ngunyi and his dodgy Fort Hall School of Government couldn’t have been a better choice to lead the campaign.
After calling Raila “the lord of poverty” he’s now in the forefront marketing Agwambo among Uhuru supporters while churning out vile propaganda against the deputy president.
The intention is to make Raila and his supporters feel that the president’s men who were previously hostile to him have now fully accepted him and that DP Ruto is isolated.
Then when the right time comes, the president will blame madimoni for the handshake and say Ruto Tosha! Will the enigma absorb the aftershocks of the imminent handshake fallout? Time will tell.
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