If you are fighting MIGUNA MIGUNA, you are costing RAILA ODINGA the PRESIDENCY

The Kenyan DAILY POSTEditor's Choice04:25

On the day of the general elections in 2007 my late dad behaved in a very strange way just before he left to vote. “That’s a Raila man,” he told my younger brother who was driving him to the polling station. His voice and tone were filled with disgust. He made sure that I was out of ear shot. Clearly he was upset because after our long discussions late into the night during those Christmas holidays, he knew which direction I was going to cast my vote. I also knew that he was going to vote for Kibaki which he did.

I found this strange because we had had many political discussions and although in most of them we never agreed, he had accommodated my views without any problem. And so that Christmas holiday when I told him the direction the country was headed to in that general election it seems that his anger had been building up.

I found it very strange but 2 years later something else happened that reminded me of that incident. A friend who was doing some serious research on the ground told me how surprised he was that the Kamba people had no time for Raila Odinga, the presidential candidate. And it had absolutely nothing to do with Kalonzo Musyoka being his competitor. It had more to do with what appeared to be a deep-seated disdain for the Luo community. Clearly the propaganda campaigns carried out during the Kenyatta administration against the Luo had worked wonders amongst the older generation Kambas and there was no way you were going to change their minds.

Many patriotic Kenyans have been working very hard to change the dented image of the Luo community and their politics believing that Raila Odinga is one Kenyan who deserves the presidency. Now all that work has just been flashed down the toilet in the twinkling of an eye. Thanks to the behavior of some hooligans who roughed up and assaulted Miguna Miguna at the Royal Castle Hotel. According to my sources in Mombasa, Miguna is lucky to be alive because had the police acted a split second later than they did we would now be eulogizing Miguna.

What is this?

Does it mean that if Raila becomes the president of this country and I criticize his policies I will not be able to go round without a police escort? After all the sacrifices made by many Kenyans have we returned our politics to the stone age where we beat up people whom we do not agree with? Are these the supporters of a candidate who claims to be running on a reform agenda? Are these the kind of reforms we spilt Kenyan blood for?

My late dad must be turning in his grave now and chuckling. I can hear him tell me; “I told you so.” And the same is happening with all those Kenyans who were almost convinced that Raila can be president of this country. The primitive view of the Akamba people and many others has been vindicated.

To make matters worse Raila the presidential candidate is silent. His silence is extremely loud and it is speaking to Kenyans in a loud voice. He is telling us that this kind of behavior is okay. And in fact he may be relying on such supporters to help him with his political agenda if and when he becomes president.

Would you vote for such a presidential candidate?

Chris Kyalo