Can Raila pull a Joshua and lead Kenya to Promised Land?

A cartoon of National Super Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga at the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. JOHN NYAGAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The Canaan promised by Raila Odinga can be construed to be a better Kenya.
  • The former prime minister probably implies that having been in the government, he knows firsthand that the problems facing Kenya are surmountable.

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.” Joshua 1:1-3

When opposition leader Raila Odinga last month declared himself the Joshua who would lead Kenyans to the Promised Land, he must have had on his mind the above portion of the scripture. As the crowd roared in approval at Uhuru Park, the National Super Alliance kingpin declared: “I am a first among equals. I will be the Joshua that will take you to Canaan. And when I am there, my job here will be done”.

The Canaan promised by the former Prime Minister, in this instance, can be construed to be a better Kenya.

Now Joshua of the Bible was not just picked at random to lead the people. In fact by the time he was leading his people there, he had already been there before. In Numbers chapter 13, the Bible records that Moses sent 12 spies to Canaan to get to know the lay of the land.

When there the spies saw a good land but the inhabitants were giants. Most of the spies came back and told Moses that the land could not be conquered. However, Joshua (also known as Hoshea) was bold enough to say that their enemies could be conquered. He therefore became one of Moses’s trusted lieutenants.

Probably Mr Odinga implies that having been in the government, he knows firsthand that the problems facing Kenya are surmountable.

FAST REACTIONS

As expected, reactions to the “Joshua Declaration” were fast and furious. Jubilee supporters almost saw abomination in the speech while Opposition adherents consider it an apt comparison as they believe Mr Odinga will lead Kenya to a more prosperous future.

This week, Mr Odinga added another chapter to the religious debate when he posted online pictures of himself praying at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, wearing the traditional Jewish brimless skullcap, kippa or yarmulke during a visit to Israel.

So will these two recent acts of declaring himself a Joshua and later praying at the temple King Solomon built endear the Nasa presidential flag bearer to many religious Kenyans? Only time will tell.

But for a man who already stirs passionate support and opposition, Mr Odinga’s every move often faces detailed scrutiny. A safe bet is that religious analogy will remain part of this year’s election campaign whose frontrunners are President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.

That politicians sometimes use religious characters, places, events and symbols is not unusual and it is usually considered an innocuous part of the political narrative as long as it does not escalate into cultic behaviour.

PERSONALITY CULT

History is replete with leaders who built on their charisma to create a personality cult, nay an almost godly or supernatural image of themselves, with titles like “Supreme Leader”, “Father of the Nation”, “Messiah”, “Guide of the Revolution”, “Helmsman”, “Founder”, “Saviour of the People” and “Supreme Combatant”.

And in the hermit Republic of North Korea, founding president Kim Il-sung is regarded as a god and his son Kim Jong-il as the son of a god. Ironically both men are dead, even though current president Kim Jong-un usually leads events in their honour, and religious freedom is severely restricted in North Korea.

For example, in Zaire, some bulletins of television prime news started with the image of the dictator Mobutu Sese Seko descending through clouds like a god coming down from the heavens. Portraits of him adorned many public places, and government officials wore lapels bearing his portrait.

With history having leaders with such exalted religious imagery, Mr Odinga’s “Joshua” and prayers in Jerusalem appear tame in comparison.