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Kajwang’ was ODM’s most loyal disciple and trouble shooter
What you need to know:
- Mr Kajwang was more than a loyal member of ODM Party per excellence and an asset to the party as its ideologue, trouble shooter, rubble – rouser, orator, legal advisor, apparatchik and think tank.
- Mr Kajwang will be particularly remembered for his courage to challenge the government on critical issues of public interest within and outside Parliament whenever circumstances demanded.
- To him, ODM was the best placed party to assume political power and he truly understood the significance of being loyal to one’s party of choice including its ideology and leadership.
I first met Senator Otieno Kajwang’ in 1991 through his younger brother TJ Kajwang.
Both of us were then university students while the senior Kajwang’ was a practising lawyer and part of a team of youthful activists in the Forum for Restoration of Democracy (FORD) that was agitating for multi-party politics.
For some of us who knew, interacted and worked with Mr Kajwang, his sudden death has caused us great anguish and a sense of irreplaceable loss.
In the ODM Party, where Mr Kajwang’ was a senior member, his death has been felt with sorrow especially among party members whom he endeared himself to through his witty political rejoinders and his unique expertise in mobilizing and rallying party members through the Bado mapambano (the struggle is still on) clarion song.
Mr Kajwang was more than a loyal member of ODM Party per excellence and an asset to the party as its ideologue, trouble shooter, rubble – rouser, orator, legal advisor, apparatchik and think tank.
Many party members will remember him for years to come for his skills in mobilizing them at major political rallies and similar events through his clarion song . He was steadfast in party politics and firmly stood with the party and its leadership during times of political crisis.
Mr Kajwang’ started off in politics right from the time he was a student at the University of Nairobi.
He was among a group of young politicians – dubbed the Young Turks – who fought hard for change in the country during the second liberation, thereby putting him in the frontline for the struggle for reforms in Kenya through the formation of Ford, and later Ford Kenya, NDP, LDP, Narc and ODM.
During his stint in all these political parties at different times, he displayed unwavering loyalty to his party and its leadership, and espoused consistency and principled approach to the ideals of democracy.
TEAM PLAYER
He was an excellent team player in all these efforts. Indeed, he never fell victim to defection baits which characterized Kenyan party politics at the material time and caused the downfall of many unprincipled and unsteady politicians.
Mr Kajwang will be particularly remembered for his courage to challenge the government on critical issues of public interest within and outside Parliament whenever circumstances demanded.
His contributions to the debates in the two Houses of Parliament — the National Assembly and the Senate will be greatly missed.
I interacted and worked closely with Mr Kajwang during my tenure as Cord leader Raila Odinga’s chief campaign manager in the 2013 Presidential Election campaigns. During that period, I had the rare opportunity of interacting and discussing critical public issues with all cadres of ODM Party and the Cord coalition members.
But among those who inspired me most with their dedication and commitment to the party and its leadership was Mr Otieno Kajwang.
To him, ODM was the best placed party to assume political power and he truly understood the significance of being loyal to one’s party of choice including its ideology and leadership.
'WE AGREED TO MEET'
He will no doubt provide a model case for study in political party loyalty and discipline and could be a source of reference to upcoming politicians prone to rebelling against their own political parties on the basis of personal interests and gains.
Such politicians fail to understand that unless one is elected to a public office as an independent candidate, he or she is expected to toe their party’s line.
I had a thirty-minute telephone conversation with Mr Kajwang at about 1pm on the day preceding the night of his death and we agreed to meet at 11.00 am the following day.
Little did I know that this would not be possible. How I wish I had pursued that day’s conversation with him to a logical conclusion. As I join his family, the people of Homa Bay County and Kenyans at large in mourning him.
I have no doubt that he has left behind a huge gap to be filled.
I do hope that in the subsequent by-election, the people of Homa Bay County will honour him by electing a person loyal to the ODM Party and its leadership.
The Writer is a Management Consultant based in Nairobi
