As one of the still-active veteran politicians in the country, ODM leader Raila Odinga has always had fellow politicians, pundits, and Kenyans at large, wondering how his political career has survived, from the Daniel Moi regime through to the current Uhuru Kenyatta administration.
From being linked to an attempted coup in the 80s, to swearing himself in as “The People’s President” in 2018, Odinga has committed quite a number of political suicide acts.
His National Super Alliance (NASA) undertaking during the 2017 election period is perhaps, one of his greatest blunders, going by how mucky the end of the said Alliance played out, leaving NASA co-principles lost in the dynamics of the political jungle that is Kenya.
After the perceived collapse of NASA, leaders, such as Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi, were left with nothing but their Wiper and ANC Party leadership positions, respectively, to write home about.
A lucky Moses Wetangula managed to cinch a Senatorial position, while Isaac Ruto lost his Bomet gubernatorial bid to the now-deceased Joyce Laboso.
Odinga, however, walked out of the situation with a newly found friendship with Uhuru that has, as thought by many, rejuvenated his political career to a great extent, and renewed hopes of him achieving his presidential dream in the future.
The ability to quickly form powerful alliances is the secret to Odinga’s political resilience, it is now emerging.
Speaking on political show Punchline on Sunday, political analyst Herman Manyora noted the same, saying that Odinga’s new friendship with Kamba leaders is a power move, ahead of the 2022 General Election and the looming Constitution referendum, under the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
Manyora further noted that Odinga teaming up with rivals of his former ally, Kalonzo Musyoka, might be a subtle way to send a warning to the Wiper Party leader, who has maintained a defiant stand in the heated Kibra MP by-election campaigns that end Monday.
“By bringing in Governor Kivutha Kibwana…Governor Charity Ngilu, Raila seems to be sending Kalonzo a message,” Manyora told host Anne Kiguta, also pointing out that Kalonzo supporting Ford Kenya’s candidate in the Thursday poll indicates a falling-out between the two former Presidential running mates.
As the leader of the Kamba Community, Kalonzo may have fallen into the comfort zone of knowing that Odinga needs him for the Eastern Kenya vote, but the ODM leader’s new alliance with other Kamba political giants shows Kalonzo that he is easily dispensable.
“Raila is never short of tricks,” Manyora cautioned.
In the 2013 General Election, Odinga was the mastermind behind the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) which gave birth to NASA in 2017.