Raila will not support Kalonzo nor Wetangula for presidency

The perceived discomfort of FORD-Kenya in the opposition CORD rightly points to a much greater phenomenon in the practice of our politics. This lack of cooperation or terms of working alongside each other as equal partners is not limited to CORD alone.

Our politics since the clamor for independence has had a stiff competition against the new voices. It has always suppressed those who have been viewed as outsiders that are out to grab power from the incumbent.

The supremacy wars and later on the merger of KADU and KANU was as a result of swallowing and wing clipping the ‘smaller’ and upcoming politicians. When Kenya was declared a one political party state, it was as a result of putting all aspiring politicians into one closed basket (KANU). Once in the basket it was difficult to achieve or even have a chance to shine politically outside without the help of the party’s old men.

In many Kenyans’ minds is that, CORD is Raila Odinga and Raila Odinga is CORD. ODM is the owner of the house or rather a homestead called CORD. The rest are just adopted children with no guarantee to have a share of the estate. The older politicians especially those of Raila’s cadre and experience will never support a perceived newcomer or outsider to relocate them to king makers. There is no way Raila can support a youthful ODM politician like say Senator Omar Hassan to vie for presidency. If this is impossible, how on earth can he support Kalonzo or Wetangula to fly CORD’s flag? What Wetangula and Kalonzo can expect from Raila is to be referred to as CORD co-principals. Nothing more.

The same script reads though in different ink for the uncomfortable rise of Dr. Alfred Mutua in Ukambani politics and Kenya at large. Dr. Mutua is seen as a newcomer who ‘needs’ a godfather to hold his hand to restrain him from ousting the bigwigs. His development record in the last three years is not good enough to make him the king of Ukambani politics. The Ukambani old guards still insist that he must go slowly in trying to fly higher above the clouds.

On the Jubilee platform, the arena already has the sole players plugged in for a twenty years period. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto will remain at the top and will only handpick who will deputize the latter come 2022. Therefore, just like CORD, Jubilee has no equal opportunities at the top for new faces. The new faces that attempt to rise are either referred to as moles of the opposing party or inexperienced lads that are over ambitious. They are reduced to cheerleaders.

When the counties were created and with them the gubernatorial positions, Kenyans thought things will change politically. It was a mirage in a daydream. These same governors are not ready to let go of power to any new entrant into the warm and comfy seats. Governors Jack Ranguma and Cornel Rasanga for Kisumu and Siaya counties respectively petitioned their party ODM to offer them direct nominations. This would have barred other young aspirants and newcomers from a fair competition for the governorship.

 

And to put icing on the cake, students’ politics are also towing the line. The concluded albeit in violence, SONU elections reflected what the old boys will never allow, to sit and see others rise on the political ladder. The career student leader Babu Owino would never allow the Young Turk Mike Jacobs to have a taste of the students’ governing council presidency. This is the same across other higher education institutions with constitutions that have undefined term limits.

Our mainstream and also the emerging media have bought into the whole orchestra of blocking the perceived underdogs. The two horse fallacy main agenda is always to block out the new entrants into politics. It is geared at disorienting the young hopefuls. The same ideology was used to work down Peter Kenneth and his running mate the young man Ronald Osumba. The media joined hands with the old guards in politics to tell them to wait for the next thirty years and try.