History Haunts Odinga; Will He Defy The Odds?
Prime Minister Raila Odinga shares same history with his late father doyen of opposition politics Jaramogi Odinga in his quest to be the 4th president of Kenya. History seems to haunt him though. Will Odinga defy history?
To begin with the elder Odinga together with his son Raila were supporters of FORD Kenya .The two were also champions of multi-party democracy. While the elder Odinga was detained after the infamous opening ceremony of Russian government funded hospital, the younger Odinga was detained after 1982 attempted coup.
At the opening ceremony of the Nyanza provincial Hospital which was graced by the first president of the republic of Kenya, the late Jomo Kenyatta in Kisumu. The occasion turned chaotic. This was after the perceived supporters of Jaramogi stoned Kenyatta's motorcade. What followed were police brutal attack, mass killings and arrest. Many though still believe that the attack was stage managed to portray Odinga and his party to be chaotic.
All this took place in 1969, after the incident, Jaramogi was arrested. He was placed under house arrest for four days before being hauled to detention, where he spend one and a half years. The younger Odinga however was arrested after the aborted 1982coup. On August 11 1982, Raila was arrested and placed under house arrest for seven months before being detained for six years. There are several similarities between Raila and his late father Jaramogi Odinga but the one that drew my attention was this latest scenario, Raila, Mudavadi 2012 ODM ticket and Jaramogi, Matiba 1992 FORD ticket.
During 1992 FORD elections, Jaramogi clashed with Matiba over who was to be the touch bearer of the party. While Matiba wanted to challenge Odinga, the latter was keen to see the party constitution adhered to in the elections. Matiba who was the first African permanent secretary in independent Kenya wanted to challenge Odinga for FORD ticket.
The party constitution however was very clear that whoever was the chairman of the party; he or she was the automatic nominee for presidency, This spelt doom for Matiba as Odinga was to be the party's touch bearer without facing elections.
Tussle between Odinga and Matiba was more about leadership of the country than the stewardship of the party. It was about ethnicity and cultural prejudice. In bitter debate that raged, central Kenya leaders coalesced around Matiba and came out strongly against Odinga, with appeals to kikuyus and Kenyans to reject him because he was "an uncircumcised person (a kihii)." This was taken as an insult to Luo tradition.
Odinga remained in Ford while Matiba formed FORD Asili. The two lost to former president Moi of KANU in the 1992 general elections. The rest remains history.
Two decades down the lane, Prime Minister Raila, son to the late Jaramogi faces the same challenges in his quest for the top seat just like his father. He together with his former deputy party leader Musalia Mudavadi in the Orange Democratic Movement party was in a tussle over party presidential nominations.
The ODM constitution states that the party leader becomes the automatic flag bearer for presidency and that incase of any party elections then this is to be done by the NDC. Mudavadi and his supporters were opposed to this and they wanted clause 6.2.1 of the party changed to allow for other party members to compete for presidential nominations and that the party elections be carried in counties instead of national delegates at Kasarani as per the tradition.
The two later parted ways with Odinga remaining in ODM while Musalia and his supporters danced to little known UDF after attempts to accommodate his demands hit a snag.
Political observers wait with bated breaths to see how the younger Odinga will find his way through the political turbulence in his quest for presidency. It is yet to be seen whether Odinga will defy all odds cast against him and make history to be the 4th president of the republic of Kenya and 1st one to be elected under new constitution after independence in the history of Kenya.
As one political scientist puts it Raila enjoys being in a crisis and works best whenever he his in a crisis. Well let's wait and see.
Source: http://sweetkenya.com
To begin with the elder Odinga together with his son Raila were supporters of FORD Kenya .The two were also champions of multi-party democracy. While the elder Odinga was detained after the infamous opening ceremony of Russian government funded hospital, the younger Odinga was detained after 1982 attempted coup.
At the opening ceremony of the Nyanza provincial Hospital which was graced by the first president of the republic of Kenya, the late Jomo Kenyatta in Kisumu. The occasion turned chaotic. This was after the perceived supporters of Jaramogi stoned Kenyatta's motorcade. What followed were police brutal attack, mass killings and arrest. Many though still believe that the attack was stage managed to portray Odinga and his party to be chaotic.
All this took place in 1969, after the incident, Jaramogi was arrested. He was placed under house arrest for four days before being hauled to detention, where he spend one and a half years. The younger Odinga however was arrested after the aborted 1982coup. On August 11 1982, Raila was arrested and placed under house arrest for seven months before being detained for six years. There are several similarities between Raila and his late father Jaramogi Odinga but the one that drew my attention was this latest scenario, Raila, Mudavadi 2012 ODM ticket and Jaramogi, Matiba 1992 FORD ticket.
During 1992 FORD elections, Jaramogi clashed with Matiba over who was to be the touch bearer of the party. While Matiba wanted to challenge Odinga, the latter was keen to see the party constitution adhered to in the elections. Matiba who was the first African permanent secretary in independent Kenya wanted to challenge Odinga for FORD ticket.
The party constitution however was very clear that whoever was the chairman of the party; he or she was the automatic nominee for presidency, This spelt doom for Matiba as Odinga was to be the party's touch bearer without facing elections.
Tussle between Odinga and Matiba was more about leadership of the country than the stewardship of the party. It was about ethnicity and cultural prejudice. In bitter debate that raged, central Kenya leaders coalesced around Matiba and came out strongly against Odinga, with appeals to kikuyus and Kenyans to reject him because he was "an uncircumcised person (a kihii)." This was taken as an insult to Luo tradition.
Odinga remained in Ford while Matiba formed FORD Asili. The two lost to former president Moi of KANU in the 1992 general elections. The rest remains history.
Two decades down the lane, Prime Minister Raila, son to the late Jaramogi faces the same challenges in his quest for the top seat just like his father. He together with his former deputy party leader Musalia Mudavadi in the Orange Democratic Movement party was in a tussle over party presidential nominations.
The ODM constitution states that the party leader becomes the automatic flag bearer for presidency and that incase of any party elections then this is to be done by the NDC. Mudavadi and his supporters were opposed to this and they wanted clause 6.2.1 of the party changed to allow for other party members to compete for presidential nominations and that the party elections be carried in counties instead of national delegates at Kasarani as per the tradition.
The two later parted ways with Odinga remaining in ODM while Musalia and his supporters danced to little known UDF after attempts to accommodate his demands hit a snag.
Political observers wait with bated breaths to see how the younger Odinga will find his way through the political turbulence in his quest for presidency. It is yet to be seen whether Odinga will defy all odds cast against him and make history to be the 4th president of the republic of Kenya and 1st one to be elected under new constitution after independence in the history of Kenya.
As one political scientist puts it Raila enjoys being in a crisis and works best whenever he his in a crisis. Well let's wait and see.
Source: http://sweetkenya.com
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