Raila bounces back from July rebellion

Cord leader Raila Odinga, accompanied by other co-principals address the media after paying a courtesy call to Chief Justice David Maraga at the Supreme Court on November 1, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • But nine months to the next polls, Mr Odinga has re-invented himself and maintained his stand as a favourite for the Cord ticket.
  • Raila Odinga has increased his push for accountability in government, and plans to attract more politicians to his fold.
  • Mr Mbadi blamed the media and political analysts for “portraying Jubilee as undefeatable and Mr Odinga as an old man undeserving of the top job”.
  • Mr Odinga’s July western Kenya visit came after the exit of his secretary-general Ababu Namwamba and vice-chairman Paul Otuoma.
  • At the same time, at least 15 ODM leaders defected to the ruling Jubilee coalition, dealing another blow to the party.

Three months ago, Cord leader Raila Odinga cut the figure of a deserted general, with all pointers indicating he would go into next year’s polls with only a handful of his party members as candidates.

Now, Mr Odinga seems to be on a trajectory of resurgence and a final push for the 2017 General Election that he has termed as a make-or-break for Kenya.

With his July four-day campaign blitz in western Kenya furiously opposed by Cord co-principal Moses Wetang’ula, followed with a move by Mr Wetang’ula and the other co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka to skip his tour of the Coast and Narok, and Mr Musyoka’s opposition of his proposal for a super alliance, coupled with Jubilee’s constant portrayal of him as an unworthy opponent, Mr Odinga appeared to be tanking.

But nine months to the next polls, Mr Odinga has re-invented himself and maintained his stand as a favourite for the Cord ticket, increased his push for accountability in government, and plans to attract more politicians to his fold.

“Kenyans are now sobering up and after seeing Jubilee’s performance, they are now understanding ODM and Raila much better,” party chairman John Mbadi told the Nation yesterday. “We gave Jubilee a chance to run a government. Now it is campaign proper. It is Raila re-energised.”

UNDESERVING THE JOB

Mr Mbadi blamed the media and political analysts for “portraying Jubilee as undefeatable and Mr Odinga as an old man undeserving of the top job”.

“Raila Odinga is a master of political intrigue and endurance. And since politics is a marathon not a sprint, Raila has remained a constant,” said University of Nairobi political scientist Adams Oloo.

Mr Odinga’s July western Kenya visit came after the exit of his secretary-general Ababu Namwamba and vice-chairman Paul Otuoma. There was pressure by the other coalition heads to be endorsed by Mr Odinga.

At the same time, at least 15 ODM leaders defected to the ruling Jubilee coalition, dealing another blow to the party.

After what seemed like a definite falling out in the Cord brigade, Mr Odinga retreated and worked on a consistent anti-corruption crusade, exposing what he said was a deadly Sh4.8 billion Murang’a water tunnel and a hard-hitting statement on the Sh5.2 billion audit queries in the Health ministry.

But on Monday, a resurgent ODM became the first political party to expel nine of its elected members and one nominated one for defecting to Jubilee.

The bold move to expel the leaders and being prepared to go the whole way to a by-election just under nine months to a General Election, analysts say, is a sign of ODM’s political strength.

Insiders say his clarion anti-corruption call and fashioning himself as the fearless defender of the Constitution is a deliberate strategy ahead of 2017.

So seemingly powerful is ODM that Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka and his Bomachoge Chache counterpart Simon Ogari apologised and begged to be reaccepted to the party.