Raila, 80, seeks liberation from Kenyans in his quest for time 'lost' in detention, exile

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga addresses mourners during the burial of the late Col (rtd) James Gitahi Nguyo, in Maanzoni, Machakos County, on March 15, 2025. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Raila Odinga aka Baba claims he joined the Kenya Kwanza administration to forestall a military coup that he says he learnt was in the offing, in response to the Gen-Z protests, last June. Well, well, even though Baba is regarded a reliable source, and he has been privy to military coups in the past, as he did in August 1982, when some junior soldiers attempted a power grab, the Ministry of Defence has dismissed his claims as baseless.

Let's not get into the politics of whether Baba would lie about such a thing; what I found most intriguing is why he was hesitant to join in the coup, given his alacrity for joining coups in the past.