For a very long time, Raila Odinga has stood as a testament to fortitude and stoicism in the face of crippling adversity and despotism. He was mentioned by our parents when we were growing up in rural Luo Nyanza.
He was nicknamed cutesy names. Every valued bull in every household was referred to as Raila, Tinga, Agwambo, Amollo, or Baba’s obscure nickname known only to native Luo speakers, “chuma liet,” or “hot metal.”
After spending a significant amount of time in detention, Raila was prepared to pick up where he left off in the battle for democracy. The son of Adonija ran for the Langata parliamentary seat after a temporary exile in Norway, defeating the wealthy and well-connected Philip Leakey. Many were captivated by the mysterious Raila’s daring in confronting the autocratic Kanu both within and outside of parliament.
Many were caught off guard, nevertheless, by the 1998 declaration of cooperation with his previous tormentor. Also, it exposed a trait of Raila’s that was less obvious when he was younger but would eventually win him enormous respect and admiration: a readiness to embrace deemed adversaries.
Thereafter, Baba succeeded in joining Nyayo as the Minister of Energy in the Cabinet. The National Development Party, which he had founded and used to run for president in 1997, was later dissolved by him.
In 2002, he then rose to prominence after making the Kibaki Tosha declaration and taking over the campaign when both Kibaki and Wamalwa were admitted to the hospital. So, it is important to keep in mind that Raila was the driving force behind the 2003 NARC government.
Once Kanu was vanquished, Raila showed both realism and idealism. He strongly fought for the Bomas draft to be successful, but President Kibaki’s supporters were determined to keep the advantages of an imperial presidency that had first been enjoyed by Kenyatta and later Moi. To convince Kibaki that the people have the right to exercise sovereign authority, Raila has to put together a coalition.
In the end, he contributed to the passage of the 2010 Constitution, which, despite the continued existence of other issues with government, continues to represent the single largest step toward transforming an extractive state into an inclusive state. While Jakom will be remembered for his ongoing efforts to put the needs of the nation before his own, we must also acknowledge that God gave us Raila, a mortal man made of flesh and blood who may falter like all mortal men, who may have personal contradictions like we all do, and who may have blind spots.
One thing is certain, though: Regardless matter what happens, Baba will always be our country’s moral compass and a hero, and there will always be a functioning government under the legal leadership of President William Ruto. They both need to keep in mind the proverb “Fahali wawili wakipigana, nyasi ndio huumia” as their war of egos rages.