Why didn’t Raila raise his rigging concerns using the right channels?

By MACHARIA GAITHO  ( email the author)

Posted  Monday, February 18  2013 at  20:00

In Summary

• When Mr Odinga cries foul over some skulduggery within government that he is supposed to co-ordinate and supervise, he must be taken very seriously
• The only way Kenya will be spared another descent into the hell of ethnic bloodshed is an election that is so clean and so transparent that the outcome, however close, will be undisputable and the loser will have no choice but to gracefully concede
• In the midst of heated campaigns, fuses can be short and it behoves all people of goodwill to think before they speak.

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It is probable that Mr Raila Odinga is on to something serious, but the problem is that it is likely to be seen as yet another example of man with the tendency to shoot himself in the foot.

When the Cord alliance presidential campaign accuses the country’s top security officials of plotting to rig the forthcoming General Election, we cannot but sit up and take notice.

Actually, I wouldn’t put it past Public Service head Francis Kimemia, military chief Julius Karangi, and Intelligence boss Michael Gichangi to plot something dastardly on behalf of an ethnic-commercial-political cabal they would be expected to owe fealty to.

And then we have to consider that Mr Odinga is not just some run-of-the-mill candidate. He is one of the front-runners for the presidency, and for the last five years, has been co-leader of the government.

As Prime Minister, Mr Odinga must be privy to many things. He would be briefed on many of the daily happenings in government and also have access to secrets and confidential information that would not be available to every Tom, Dick and Harry.

Where the “ruling” arm of the coalition government tried to keep some “home boy” dossier from him, I am quite certain that the Prime Minister has had all the time to develop his own parallel channels for gathering crucial information. He would have been “sleeping on his ears” if he hadn’t cultivated his own networks in the most sensitive echelons of government.

Therefore, when Mr Odinga cries foul over some skulduggery within government that he is supposed to co-ordinate and supervise, he must be taken very seriously.

This is especially so in relation to suspected subversion of a General Election. Memory is still fresh in the mind on how the country was plunged into chaos the last time around when President Kibaki was accused of stealing a second term.

We also remember the alert raised ahead of the last elections in regard to a group of Administration Police officers elected on ethnic lines to perform some undefined tasks for President Kibaki’s PNU campaign. Initially, is sounded like irresponsible fiction, but the truth eventually came out.

The only way Kenya will be spared another descent into the hell of ethnic bloodshed is an election that is so clean and so transparent that the outcome, however close, will be undisputable and the loser will have no choice but to gracefully concede.

The onus is on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to deliver a free and fair election.

Equally charged with ensuring smooth polls are the contenders who must desist from actions that might provoke chaos and violence; as well as the security and administrative branches of government that must remain strictly non-partisan.

All Kenyans must be on their toes – players against any attempts to subvert the democratic process. However, any reaction to any suspected shenanigans must be measured and temperate, for it would be counter-productive to stoke the flames.

Mr Odinga, as stated earlier, is the Prime Minister of Kenya. He sits by the right side of the President in the Cabinet and chairs various Cabinet committees where important business is dispensed.

There are various forums away from public rallies or statements from his presidential campaign hirelings where he can raise his concerns and demand answers. It is irresponsible for any campaign at this time to start making accusations of such nature in a manner calculated to capture public attention.

In the midst of heated campaigns, fuses can be short and it behoves all people of goodwill to think before they speak. Note that I am not defending Mr Kimemia, Gen Karangi or Brig Gichangi. What I am saying is that the Prime Minister could have raised his concerns and demanded answers within the right forums where he sits.

This particular claim shows up, again, the Mr Odinga who sometimes is unable to decide whether he wants to be the leader and statesman; or the hell-raiser and rabble-rouser.

The ODM leader has a great chance to be president, especially when up against a competition so hamstrung by serious criminal charges and murky pasts. However, he could easily throw it all away with careless utterances that serve only to raise old fears about his electability.

mgaitho@ke.nationmedia.com.