As he battles Covid-19 at home, Raila Odinga’s illness is just one of the many headaches he is facing as the country gears towards a constitutional referendum and the 2022 General Election.
Last week, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader was admitted to Nairobi Hospital a day after his party had just made damning accusations of meddling in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process by top civil servants.
This comes amid a raging succession debate that seems calculated to push him out of contention, as well as his advanced age, 76, at a time he is required to be active.
While ODM has said most of the issues they had on the running of the BBI had been addressed, Mr Odinga will still have to contend with murmurs in his party of an unfair relationship in the pro-BBI camp.
Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, another Odinga ally, on the other hand, accused unnamed senior civil servants of plotting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 2022 succession , with a view of locking out the former prime minister. Mr Mohamed, however, now says all is well in the Handshake team.
“How can we be used in our own project? BBI is a product of the Handshake between President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga. BBI belongs to us as ODM. It is our document,” Mr Mohamed told KTN News, insisting his anti-Kibicho comments were housekeeping matters, and had been addressed. With concerns that the BBI secretariat was being starved of funds, Mr Mohamed said the secretariat will now resort to fundraising at a date he said will be announced soon.
Mr Odinga is also facing a 2022 presidential election headache, with ODM admitting to knowledge of top civil servants propping up the Orange party’s challengers to weaken its vote bases.
Orengo speaks on BBI, Handshake
“This issue of civil servants trying to prop up certain people for the presidential succession is not new. We want to assure you that all State projects, even in 2022 will fail because the will of the people is supreme,” ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna said last week.
A senior ODM official yesterday told Nation that they were aware of a state-sponsored plan to back the One Kenya Movement in perceived ODM strongholds of Nyanza, Western and Coast.
The movement brings together Kanu leader Gideon Moi, Amani National Congress (ANC) boss Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka and his Ford-Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula.
He claimed the Kenyatta government backed Mr Mudavadi and Wetang’ula in the recently concluded Matungu and Kabuchai by-elections, where ODM lost.
Mr Odinga also faces the age test at the 2022 poll as he is older than all the other main players in the battle.
His archival William Ruto is 54, Mr Moi (57), Mr Kenyatta (59), Mr Mudavadi (60), Mr Musyoka (67) while Mr Wetang’ula is 67.
The Mudavadi-Kalonzo-Moi-Wetang’ula alliance has already given indications of using the age card against Mr Odinga, arguing that the former premier had already used his “last bullet” and should not be allowed to borrow anyone else’s gun.
“Unbeknown to Raila and his cohorts, however, is the fact that time has run out for the ODM leader. Having expended his last bullet in 2017, the ageing politician faces a political waterloo of monstrous proportions; whereupon, firing of blanks will not help to boost his dwindling political fortunes,” Wiper said in a statement last month.
Orengo raises concern over alleged scheme by some senior civil servants to craft 2022 succession
Even then, University of Nairobi don Herman Manyora believes that Mr Odinga is still the best man to take on Dr Ruto, seen to have had a head-start in the race for State House in 2022.
“If any of them in the Mudavadi-Moi-Kalonzo-Wetang’ula alliance is fielded against William Ruto, then Ruto will take a holiday to come back to be crowned President,” said Mr Manyora.
“For now, your only fighting chance is Raila Odinga. There is no way any of these other guys (sic) even if supported by Raila, will beat Ruto.”
ODM has insisted that Mr Odinga is not barred from making a fifth stab at the presidency next year, and that his age was only just a number.
They have cited the case of US President Joe Biden who won the seat at 77, as well as the win of former Malaysian Prime Minister, 92-year-old Mahathir Mohamad, in 2018.
