Raila: Indispensable player in Kenya's national stability

Former PM Raila Odinga at a burial in Maanzoni, Machakos County. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Critics and naysayers have long labelled Raila Odinga's repeated handshakes as mere opportunistic theatrics. They argue that his every handshake with sitting Presidents is nothing more than a self-serving political maneuver in pursuit of power.

But a closer examination reveals that anyone dismissive of Raila as a political opportunist misses the broader significance of his actions.