Photo: Rivals-turned-friends, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga. :
Since Kenya attained its independence in 1963, its opposition politics has been synonymous with the Odinga family, who have always teamed up with notable political players across the country to press for constitutional reforms.
It was a journey birthed by the family’s patriach the larger-than-life Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s first Vice-President, after he bitterly fell out with his ally in the independence struggle, Kenya’s founding president Jomo Kenyatta.
Jaramogi was numerously detained by Kenyatta and the successive Kenyan regimes, his supporters killed and maimed, allies assassinated and exiled.These were decades of vicious street and parliamentary battles, culminating into the repeal of the Section 2(A) of the Kenyan constitution in 1992, a major victory for Jaramogi and his political liutenants over the oppressive Daniel Arap Moi regime.
Upon his death in January, 1994, his son Raila Odinga, took over the reigns of opposition politics. Previously detained for 19 years, his family and supporters economically marginalised and forcefully exiled, Raila Odinga’s moment came in 2010 when his pet project, the overhaul of the Kenyan constitution, was realised, while he served as Prime Minister in a coalition government with President Mwai Kibaki. This was a government formed following the bloody 2007 election, which was widely seen as the robbing of Odinga’s victory by the incumbent Mwai Kibaki.
Even as Prime Minister, Odinga did not stop questioning regressive government policies, a trend he continued up to the famous 2018 handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of Kenya’s first President, Jomo Kenyatta. This was after years of political onslaughts in which Odinga accused Uhuru of stealing his victories in 2013 and 2017 presidential elections. The former was upheld by the Supreme Court of Kenya while the latter was nullified, sending shockwaves across Africa.
However, the two sons of Kenya’s founding leaders are now joined at the hip, calling themselves brothers in every state function and rolling out multibillion shillings state projects. Keen political observers view this as rewriting of history by two men who inherited the rivalries of their fathers while their detractors argue it is a well-orchestrated plot to embolden dynastic rule in the East African country.
But it is Odinga’s moves that have shocked the country. An opposition leader receiving cabinet secretaries in his office and even receiving Heads of States and governments at the airport on behalf of the president is something Kenya has never been accustomed to. Odinga has been inspecting government projects, causing discomfort among allies of Deputy President William Ruto, who view this a spat on the face by Uhuru.
Over the last three days, Uhuru and Odinga have commissioned key government projects in Western Kenya, the home turf of Odinga. Odinga said Kenya is witnessing a new era where no region of Kenya shall suffer economic marginalisation on account of rejecting successive regimes.
“As a people, we should cherish the gains made in many sections. The journey to develop the fruits of independence to all corners of the country continues. That should be the focus of all Kenyans as we move into the future.” He told a mamoth crowd that had gathered for Madaraka Day celebrations at the Lakeside city of Kisumu.
On his part, Kenyatta said his newfound political bromance with Odinga is in the interest of peace and prosperity of Kenya.
“We don’t know what the future holds, but what I am sure of is that I will work with Raila Odinga and other like-minded leaders in the future to transform Kenya.”
Many Kenyans believe that Odinga has achieved his goal of constitutional reforms and has now set his eyes on the economic front.
“He has realised that Kenya’s prosperity is not just premised on constitutional changes, but also in economic diplomacy.” Peter Audi, a staunch supporter of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Party, told this writer in Kisumu.
