Ida, Rachel back in politics with campaign drives

As the succession of President Uhuru Kenyatta gains traction, the wives of the two frontrunners in the August 9 race have embarked on campaigns to galvanise support for their husbands.

With Deputy President William Ruto and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga in a cut-throat competition to clinch power, their wives have lined up a number of activities to ensure they become first ladies.

Last week, Ms Ida Odinga relaunched a lobby group dubbed Sibanduki to drum up support for her husband’s presidential bid. The group was first unveiled in 2013 by Ms Odinga when the former Prime Minister was making his third stab at the presidency.

“I want you to remind young people wherever they are; these are people over the age of 18 who have never voted before, that our future depends on them. Let our campaigns be issue-based. Let our campaign not be riddled with insults and abuses, because those are things that are dragging us backwards,” she said during the relaunch at a Nairobi hotel last Friday.

The lobby’s secretary general John Njuguna said the group would help to drive Mr Odinga’s agenda on social protection (Inua Jamii, Pesa Mfukoni), universal health care (Baba Care), job creation (Kazi kwa Wote), women empowerment (Uchumi kwa kina mama) and youth empowerment. Others are access to education, food production and water provision.

“Sibanduki has deliberately simplified this vision targeting different groups, especially young and new voters and the rest of Kenyans keen to see better leadership and economic prosperity,” Mr Njuguna said before the relaunch.

On the list of those who have paid the ultimate price just by virtue of being spouses of politicians, Ms Odinga ranks highly.

Bulky chapters

If she were to write her biography, being expelled as a teacher from Kenya High School and other ghosts of the single-party era are likely to constitute bulky chapters.

Her tribulations nearly four decades ago, were simply due to the fact that she was the wife of a young, vibrant politician who threatened the status quo.

Recently, however, one year shy of the golden jubilee celebration of their marriage, Ms Odinga, who raised her children single-handedly while their father was in political detention, would stand before a crowd in Kasarani and give Mr Odinga her blessings to traverse the country in his presidential bid.

“To wananchi, the people of Kenya, I release Raila to you today,” she told the crowd at the Azimio la Umoja convention at Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi, on December 10, 2021.

“As a good friend, and as my dear husband, someone I’ve known for many years, I know what he is capable of doing,” Ms Odinga added as she highlighted how the ODM party leader would keenly look into Kenyans’ education and healthcare.

According to Ms Odinga, Kenyans need to be empowered with sound policies to help the country attain first world status in the next one decade.

Prayer rallies

“In Sibanduki, we are engaging Kenyans on the power of voting rights and peaceful campaigns for harmonious co-existence,” she said.

Rachel Ruto, the wife for Mr Odinga’s main challenger, the Deputy President, seems to have chosen a subtler way of supporting her husband. She has been behind the scenes, participating in peace and prayer rallies and helping the less fortunate in the society.

After many years of avoiding politics that has largely been scathing towards her husband since the March 2018 political truce between President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, and which the DP claims excluded him, Ms Ruto seems to be courting the limelight once again, following her move to revive her Joyful Women Organisation (Joywo) that runs poverty alleviation programs for women.

Last month, she addressed a huge gathering in Kuresoi South in Nakuru County, where she had gone to meet women’s groups under Joywo. She was accompanied by Nakuru County Woman Rep Lisa Chelule and Kuresoi South MP Joseph Tanui.

"Glad to interact with residents and women at Keringet, Nakuru County accompanied by Hon. Lisa Chelule (Nakuru County) and Hon. Joseph Tanui (Kuresoi South). Acknowledged greetings from residents of Keringet, Kuresoi South, Nakuru County," Ms Ruto tweeted alongside pictures of her addressing the crowd.

After coming up with an engagement dubbed ‘Mama Doing Good’, she has been crisscrossing the country meeting women at the grassroots, educating them on how to save through table banking.

On Tuesday, while in Cheptiret, Uasin Gishu County, she said improving livelihoods in rural areas needed concerted efforts.

“Improving rural livelihoods is a difficult task that necessitates a diversified strategy. It all starts with an understanding that rural livelihoods and ecological protection are closely linked,” she said.

She went ahead: “Mama Doing Good through its seven programs has begun a thorough partnership between farmers, civil society organisations, businesses and county governments to better grasp the critical need for systemic change throughout the supply chain.”

When she took the initiative to Nandi County on Sunday, Ms Ruto said the continent’s economic backbone is made up of women.

“Joyful Women Organisation is leveraging women's groups to develop and strengthen their credit networks and capacity building in their trading chains. Non-financial services such as literacy health programs and civic education can be delivered through the groups,” she said.

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