Why Raila Odinga’s wisdom is unequaled

If there is one colourful practical mover and shaker of our Kenyan political landscape it is Raila Odinga - popularly known to his followers and Kenyans at large as ‘Agwambo’ or ‘Baba’.

To his credit, this has not come on a silver platter. He has painstakingly worked his way to the Kenyan hearts and minds through sheer hard work, patience, wisdom and political brinkmanship.

Being the only surviving active politician of his class, Raila is able to chat course of the Kenyan political destiny by reading signs of the time to fit changing patterns and alliances and even casting off others when they become a baggage.

One thing marks his leadership drive. He is never a member of bandwagon and it is either he is on the driving wheel or none at all. The wisdom of this man sometimes escapes notice blurred by ethnic stereotyping and sheer blind hatred.

The greatest Raila asset is that he is able to step inside his detractors' and even enemies' camp and comfortably take a seat. He then proceeds to totally disarming his political opponents sometimes by simply turning their hate menu into friendly and ally weapon and rallying everyone to his political direction.

After the 2017 General Election that was marked by controversy and ethnic hatred, Raila emerged shaking hands with President Uhuru Kenyatta in what has now become known as the ‘hand shake’ and a blueprint of building national cohesion known as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

Although we might never know what transpired behind closed doors nor the agreement between Raila and Uhuru, the former Prime Minister demonstrated his political maturity and statesmanship by shedding down his lofty political demands and teaming up with the President to shape the political direction of this country and its destiny for the better.

The seed of yet another revolutionary constitutional change will firmly take hold.

With the wisdom of ‘Baba’ and the incumbency of Uhuru, the country may finally create a framework through which the slippery dream of national cohesion and zero tolerance to corruption will be realised.

UNTOLD STORY: The role Raila Odinga played when Mwai Kibaki got an accident in 2002