Kalonzo and Uhuru shine in absence of Prime Minister

By FRED OLUOCH foluoch@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, July 24 2010 at 21:00

The absence of Prime Minister Raila Odinga on the campaign trail has generated debate, with many seeing it is a blessing in disguise for the ‘Yes’ side.

There is a strong belief among political pundits that his earlier tag as the de facto leader of the proponents of the draft constitution exposed him to attacks by both the ‘No’ side and those in the ‘Yes’ camp who felt he sought to use the campaign to prop himself up for the 2012 presidential race.

His personality

At the beginning, Mr Odinga’s sometimes abrasive and controversial approach to issues was fodder for the ‘No’ campaigners, who concentrated on his personality and what he stands to gain other than the issues related to the draft constitution.

Mr Odinga dropped out of the campaign after he was taken ill.

The question now is, would Eastern and Central provinces be responding differently had he been around?

The “Odinga factor” is believed to have been a major issue in the two provinces and his sick leave has opened up the space for other players in the ‘Yes’ campaign, especially Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to prove their mettle.

It all started with the controversial KKK alliance involving the VP, Mr Kenyatta and Higher Education minister William Ruto and their quest to outwit Mr Odinga in 2012.

The “Odinga factor” has never gone away. Earlier in the campaigns in some parts of Ukambani, there were allegations that some ‘No’ campaigners were telling voters that backing the draft constitution was tantamount to voting for Mr Odinga.

This consequently elicited a lot of antagonism, given the political battle for the compromise ODM-Kenya presidential candidate Mr Odinga fought with Mr Musyoka in 2007 before they went their separate ways.

Though the VP has of late intensified his campaigns, the opposition to the document in his backyard is still strong, courtesy of the influence of the Catholic Church, the African Inland Church and misinformation that has taken root.

But Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama says the campaigns are going on well, and 75-80 per cent of the voters in the region will support the document in the August 4 referendum.

Change course

On July 9, Mr Musyoka met with opinion leaders in Machakos to appeal to the community to change course and, since then, it has been a full-throttle campaign for the ‘Yes’ side, although observers say the result could go either way.

In Central Province, people are still debating on their political fate in the post-Kibaki era.

But the wave of support for the proposed constitution has gained momentum after the President pleaded for backing to craft his legacy.

Mr Kenyatta, who was initially seen as ambivalent, has also come out strongly to support the document.

The push by the two most prominent political leaders from the region has caused a change of heart by a number of leaders, including fence-sitters like Environment minister John Michuki, and opposers such as Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau.