By Philip Etale via fb
LONG POST, FROM MY HEART.
My Senior and friend Mr. Micheni has challenged me to say where HE Raila Odinga and ODM stand presently. He has gone further to claim that Raila quit the opposition and that ODM is now in government.
First, let make it clear that Raila hasn’t ditched the opposition. ODM is a political outfit, an institution for posterity, the most organized political party in Kenya and with functional offices in 42 out of 47 Counties in Kenya.
Infact, SG Edwin Sifuna said you close of the year, we shall have offices in the remaining 5 counties. We are working on that.
Now, back to the topic; for years, Raila Odinga has been the people’s watchman. He has been involved in many struggles to liberate the people of Kenya. He has been in detention for agitating for a better Kenya.
He was tortured to have the future generations have a better place than our forefathers found it. When the state was hunting him down to kill him, he sneaked out of the country on a boat that almost capsized in Lake Victoria wearing a rob and a hat to shake off his hunters.
In 2005, he told us about the Artur Brothers that had been hired as mercenaries to cause terror in the country and probably kill people. In his political life, he spoke about many ills that threatened the country’s socio-economic stability.
He blew the whistle to alert Kenyans of the many corruption scandals that were happening in the country.
He is a man who stands for the truth and is straight in his dealings. In his first term as MP, representing Langata constituency, Mr. Odinga quit his father’s party, Ford-Kenya when he differed with its leadership, resigned from parliament and sought re-election on a new party the NDP.
He was principled on this. Despite a spirited fight by KANU and other political parties to stop him in the by-election, he handed them a resounding defeat and bounced back to parliament. Remember, only two MPs in the history of Independent Kenya have made good their threats to resign from parliament, Raila Odinga (Ford-Kenya) and former Starehe MP Steve Magic Mwangi (Ford-Asili).
Unlike Raila, Magic Mwangi did not seek re-election in a by-election which was won by KANU’s Gerishon Kirima.
Raila Odinga’s association with KANU was on principle. He wanted stability of the nation.
He has always wanted a United Kenya, a Kenya where everyone enjoys living anywhere in the country, a Kenya that is stable with a stable economy that can lead to creation of employment opportunities to millions of jobless youths, a Kenya where corruption is not tolerated etc. it will be remembered that in 2007, when the rest of the country was for Raila Odinga presidency and politicians marshaling support for him, Deputy President William Ruto, then MP for Eldoret North had no time for Raila Odinga.
His heart was elsewhere. It is the people of Rift Valley led by the late Kipkalya Kones that forced Ruto to support Raila. I dare anyone to challenge me on this.
It is Raila Odinga’s bravery and ingenious political skills that propelled Mwai Kibaki to Presidency.
Remember the role he played in declaring Kibaki Tosha at Uhuru Park to how he ran up and down to ensure he received good treatment after the horrible accident at Kyumbi area on Mombasa road… the rest is history.
surprisingly, even after speaking so loudly about corruption and other vices in the country, he was branded names by the same people now needing his voice today. He was branded a mganga, the lord of poverty etc. When he spoke about the dams that would end up denying Kenyans water, he was called the enemy of development.
The list of insults was long, followed by unprintable words that were thrown at him. He is a human being, a husband, a father, a grandfather, an uncle and a leader. Just like you and I, he breaths air, he has red blood and feelings too.
He must be respected. What makes you think that if he talks about a scandal that is in government today, the same people demanding for his voice will not turn against him to call him names again?
He has been insulted more than any other human being alive in Kenya today. He has been disparaged as his family looks helplessly. He has been embarrassed by being described with big adjectives that only a satanic person can use against ab fellow human being.
I have voted for him thrice and will do the same a fourth time God Willing.
To me, Raila deserves to be Kenya’s President to fix this nation and put in place workable structures that generations to come will ride on for prosperities.
