Dear Raila, If You Must Die, Die Alone

FORMER PRIME MINISTER RAILA AMOLO ODINGA is on record for being the proponent and icon of true democracy not only in Kenya but across Africa and the planet Earth as a whole. When Kenya was chained by the york of Moism in the 1980s, it was Raila Odinga, who rallied a group of senior officials of the Kenyan Air Force to bend the law and launch the bid to oust Moi out of power; after all the man from Baringo had never been elected in a competitive election but was a product of political sycophancy and had followed the Mzee hoping to be politically relevant in case the unknown happens- which indeed happened in Mombasa in 1978.

When democracy became a one-man show, it was Raila, Miguna and Willy Mutunga among others who staged up a protest amid the political assassinations that had become the silent medicine to silence ‘national noise makers’ to introduce multi-party democracy. It was Raila who coined the phrase ‘democracy’ and gave it a practical meaning after many years of hustle and bustle. It was this very man who put his life literally on the line for the sake of millions. For us, he was detained in Nyayo Chambers; for us, he was tortured by state house mandarins and lost his voice. For us, his father, the great Oginga disallowed him using a Christian name as a demonstration of anger towards the British that had come to extend their influence over Africa. For us, his voice is not as clear as that of the son of Jomo or that of the King of the Rift. This man Raila will enter into the chronicles of history as the most liberal-minded product of Nyanza that ever existed. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, Raila had the tenacity of the bulls of Spain and the passion to ‘in a gentle way, shake the world’. He believes he is the new seed that the Lord must plant in the garden of the Republic of Kenya and be a source of hope to the desperate Kenyans.

However, like is evident of the great men and women of the planet, Raila has started moving in the wrong direction with jet like speed, steered by Senator Muthama and propelled by a cocoon of goons and goon captains who want the old man to shed off like an old acacia leaf. Abraham Lincoln is quoted to have said that if you want to taste a man’s character, give him power. Raila being the specimen and keeping all factors constant, the opposite has in the recent past proven to be true. If you want to taste a man’s character, deny him power. Like the Gaddafi’s and the Museveni’s of this world, Raila Odinga- once a white lamb without blemish, has turned out to be an embodiment of all vices, ranging from disrespecting the will of the people to destroying the image of a country he once loved in all public addresses he delivers in any part of the continent.

In a democracy, the business of the politicians is to present themselves to the electorate, detailing the policies they desire to implement once in government and presenting their manifesto. It is also the business of the people to choose their preferred candidate in a secret-ballot voting system in an election to be refereed by an impartial, above-politics body. It is the business of the electoral commission, to tally and announce the results of the election as approved by all the respective party agents in the different parts of the country.  Reasonable statesmen like Nelson Rolihlala Mandela never imposed themselves on the people, they were elected. And in the event that one is defeated, the only press conference the law of nature permits an individual to call is one in which he/she will inform Kenyans that he/she has spoken to the president elect and congratulated him on his election. We are not political age mates with America but it is incumbent on us to at least copy the salient practices of their elections. Despite the tight American 2012 election, Mitt Romney never wasted millions of dollars hiring high-profile lawyers to challenge the white colour of milk. Mitt Romney never went around the streets of Boston telling them he won the election by over six million votes against his competitor like Raila did in Kibera and Changamwe.

Before the elections, Raila was among many of the other presidential aspirants who expressed their trust on the credibility of IEBC and the integrity of its chairman. Raila is on record for telling Kenyans he will accept the verdict of the fourteen million jurymen.

Before the elections, Raila was among many of other presidential aspirants who expressed trust on the credibility of the Supreme Court of Kenya and the integrity of its Chief Justice. Raila is on record for telling Kenyans he will respect and accept the verdict of the six wise men.

Yet after the elections, Raila was the only one demonizing the IEBC and its chair labeling them goons destined to rob him of his victory. The mainstream media was full of a brand new Raila condemning the entire process despite being the architect in the Kenyan government to government BVR kits procurement deal with the government of Canada. Which begs the question, must the Raila doctrine of a free and fair election be the basis of redefining the 1000 years old concept of democracy? What is democracy if it is not respecting the will of the people? Methinks Raila needs to expunge his advisors from the list of his employees and get a new team of serious men and women.

My good former Prime Minister Raila, death is inevitable but political death is evitable. If it is a must for you to die, please do us a favor and leave our two institutions behind. For you cannot undo all that you have done for the last 30 years because of something you can ACCEPT and MOVE ON. After all the CHOICES OF POLITICAL FRIENDS AND ENEMIES LIKE ANY OTHER CHOICE, HAS CONSEQUENCES.

Ekai Nabenyo is a Law Student at the University of Nairobi and blogs at

INFORMING KENYANS- www.ekainabenyo.blogspot.com