By: Jim Bonnie
Recently as I was chatting with a friend, he was stunned at the tenacity at which I have devoted my support to Hon. Raila Odinga via my articles, talk and conduct. I made it clear to him that this is a course I believe in. I then went ahead to elaborate why – though briefly. I hope you understand.
All the same, I want the vivacious ODM youth to listen to me. I have observed zealously how this mighty group has “marginalized†itself within the party. I may be wrong, but let me warn you guys, making noise and singing pro-Raila songs won’t work – they will only complement a serious work. Those indolent days are long gone.
I get vexed when I see some posts and comments from anonymous Raila “sycophants†going bare knuckle on the “enemyâ€. I think of what magic the shattered energy on social media would do if turned into rational strategies that target winning from the grass root.
In the African setup, the youth are the “eyes†of the community at times of battles. They are known for their willpower and readiness to spend energy. Raila as youth never wasted his time. When Moi the tyrant was dreaded, he resigned from Parliament and went ahead to win a by-election.
I still remember how he battled it out with Kijana Wamalwa over Ford-Kenya control. When he realized that some outmoded officials looked down upon him due to his young age, he moved out and formed NDP. Raila’s politics has been on the rise. Still, his vision of leading this country has never been realized.
It is essential to note that if Raila will ever step into the house on the hill, then I assure you that will solely be due to the labors of the youth. If this dream fails, then the youth of ODM will everlastingly own the guilt. The battle will no longer be won by the number of people attending rallies.
Neither will it be won by how loud one group makes noise about a candidate. The fight Raila fought and still fights has since been digitized. The young people should therefore understand this game better than the old. I advise the young in ODM party to flash out the ineffectual folks and start the course with zeal.
We have people in the party who won’t care whether Raila will ever become president or not. These are the guys who have been in leadership since time immemorial. They don’t understand the cold out here. They will praise Raila in the political daises and make careless derogatory avowals as long as their politics starts and ends in the precincts of their villages.
On many occasions, I have gotten into debates with fellow youth on the way forward for our country. I always advise them to stop playing useless politics and get serious. If the young people in ODM party still want to sit on the fence and allow people whose selfish interests have already been served to continue hoodwinking them, then they should shut up forever.
Tell me, do you think Raila has been losing elections because of the tyranny of numbers? Hell no! That is bullshit. I believe Raila can easily become president in 2017 and remove those boys modeling in the royal house, from power. Let’s not make a joke of this. It is very simple, start implementing the winning strategy now!
It’s the youth to make Raila the next commander-in-chief of this nation. Your roles shouldn’t be forming some funny groups which aren’t even pragmatic, organizing some useless “love making†retreats in the name of stratagem and shouting your lungs out at the site or mention of Raila Odinga’s name.
It’s high time the young people regrouped and became radical. Nothing will be handed on a silver platter. But, if you think sitting your fat asses down and littering social media with photos from Raila’s errands will bring victory, then prolong fooling yourself. Raila needs soldiers at the moment. Not choristers to maintain singing the old common “strategy†songs.
Let Raila’s hardnosed genre of politics rekindle in you. “Don’t spend a lot of energy on the enemy until you forget that you were to guard your homeâ€, my Turkana friend told me. Raila has of late been described by some people as a soldier with only one bullet remaining – though I don’t subscribe to this fallacy.
Even if it were to be true, do you know why Raila didn’t use all the bullets? He never wanted to disappoint the young people. Little did you know that he has surreptitiously placed the only remaining bullet on the youth of this nation and ODM.
He wants them to use their sharp minds and clear eyes to aim at the enemy an finally fall the injured pray he has battled for years. His is to give guidance.
If you waste the single bullet, you are ruined. You will be useless. The test is; if you can’t utilize the only strategic bullet left to you, then you shouldn’t expect any magic if you were to be given a fully loaded gun. Stop being hesitant, take over ODM and make Raila the next president of this nation by all means come 2017. Sawa?!!
The writer comments on topical issues
Published in www.kenya-today.com