It’s
no secret that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga intends to take a stab at the
Presidency one more time. And as his supporters have already put it, he has
only ‘one bullet left’, meaning a loss in the 2017 elections could usher in the
sunset of his political career.
It
thus becomes imperative for Raila to employ the right political strategy that
will help him get it right this time around and claim the ultimate prize; the
Presidency.
It
won’t be a walk in the park as he will be up against an incumbent who is
eloquent, media savvy and who projects himself as a humble and down to earth
president. He will also be facing a well-oiled political juggernaut in the form
of the recently launched Jubilee Party.
This
calls for a change of tact on the part of Mr. Odinga and his team. It baffles
me as a political observer why he is spending too much precious time
campaigning among those who already converted. For the better part of this
year, he has been oscillating between western Kenya and coastal counties which
are his strongholds. For him to clinch the Presidency, he needs to win over
voters from regions that voted for his rivals during the last elections.
We
need to see Raila holding town hall meetings and public rallies in the counties
around Mt Kenya and Rift Valley. Let him sell his policies and ideas on how he
will improve their lives. Granted, they may not vote for him overwhelmingly due
to other factors but he could still come out with a size able chunk which could make
a difference.