Bashing, praising in equal measure: Why it’s hard being Raila

It’s hard being Raila Odinga in Kenya, his handlers admit.

The past one week has seen him bashed by both his own supporters and those of President Uhuru Kenyatta, two diametrically opposed groups that went for each other’s jugular last year and the first two months of 2018.

But the irony of it all was the condemnation from Jubilee supporters after he declared that he would be rallying his troops in Parliament to support the Finance Bill as proposed by President Kenyatta.

They were wondering why Mr Odinga who has distinguished himself as the champion of opposition politics, instead of opposing the punitive tax measures by government, would be supporting it.

During President Kenyatta’s first term in office, Mr Odinga was always on his case, unearthing scandals in his government in what sometimes saw him being accused of sabotaging the economy more so when he first talked about the Eurobond scandal.

He also warned the government about runaway debt that he said would crush the economy.

OPPOSITION

But Mr Odinga’s spokesman Denis Onyango fires back, arguing that Kenyans can be very insincere in their expectations.

He said that Mr Odinga had changed approach in dealing with what bedevils the country.

“Raila has decided to take a wider lens and a longer term view of Kenya’s problems. After a period of reflection, he has concluded that the issues at hand are bigger than five-year electoral cycle or party politics. The foundation of the nation was destroyed ages ago and we have refused to acknowledge this,” he said.

Mr Onyango asked the country to get used to his boss for the new person he had become.

“People still look at him in terms of reacting to every day events in press conferences. Mr Odinga acknowledges that emotional response to events will not help, his supporters have yet to appreciate this,” he said.

At the heart of Mr Odinga’s new political tack is the truce he had with President Kenyatta in March.

TASK FORCE

The result has been the gazettement of Building Bridges Taskforce that hopes to cure the problems that ail the country.

“Do I antagonise the Building Bridges for short term gain? This is the question he was toying with when challenged by MPs to oppose the tax proposal. He choose to rally behind the president,” Mr Onyango said.

Yesterday, he thanked ODM MPs who toed the party line to support the bill in Parliament.

“Mr Odinga assures Kenyans of his commitment to the pursuit of a lasting solution to the country’s decades old problems through pragmatic steps arrived at through bipartisan support devoid of the traditional rhetoric and brinkmanship,” he said in a statement released by Mr Onyango.

CONDEMNED

His own son Raila Odinga Junior led the onslaught against his decision.

“Unfortunately as a Kenyan citizen, I am unconvinced by the statement put out by Nasa on the VAT on fuel.

"None of the conditions they have put up are measurable and even if they were, they are nowhere near closing the deficit on the debt. I call for my MP Ken Okoth to reject (President Uhuru's memorandum to Parliament),” he said.

"I feel Raila Odinga and his Nasa brigade have betrayed us. How can they support a move that is meant to oppress us? Is this why we voted for them?" Mr Bramwel Omondi, a resident of Migori, said.

“A man stood for presidential elections four times and every single time he was mocked and told to retire and shut up. Finally, the said man decided to shut up yet the very people who were asking him to exit the stage are now complaining that he is too quiet as they suffer,” another observer tweeted.

HYPOCRISY

Former Vice President Wamalwa Kijana; a man with whom Mr Odinga feuded for control of Ford Kenya party after the death of his father Jaramogi Oginga, pointed out that many people in the political arena either suffer from Raila mania or Raila phobia.

Those who adore him do so with immense passion in the equal measure to those who oppose him. Some watchers are divided in opinion whether he is indeed a purebred democrat or an elite just like the other political players.

Prof Ben Sihanya, a political analyst, accuses those criticising Mr Odinga of hypocrisy.

“From a constitutional point of view, there is no such office as the leader of the opposition. In what capacity then do you want Mr Odinga to keep the government in check? Whatever he does must be through his goodwill,” he said.

PROTEST

Mr Onyango reckons that the art of being a good politician is knowing when to change course.

“If it about picketing, we did. If it about crippling business in Parliament we did. If it is the firimbi movement, we did. Hope you remember the red beret. It was full combat last year and the years before.

"We have been fighting the government from as far back as 1990s. What haven’t we done? But it gets to a point you step back and reflect and evaluate whether that’s the course you want to stay and for what benefit,” he said.

Described as an enigma in Kenya’s politics, the truth of the matter is that the country’s politics have revolved around Mr Odinga as far back as his co-operation days with retired president Daniel Moi.

“He has been on this journey long enough and that comes with its advantages. He has matured in the game and has created a solid voter base over the time. Raila is obviously politically wiser and smarter and this poll will prove just that,” Dr Adams Oloo said.