By Anderson Ojwang
Kamkunji ground in Kibra was organic and jubilant. In droves they converged in their tens. The bedroom shook and yielded. The crowd was alive and electrified just like when the Enigma visited the backyard.
The organization was real and the master of ceremony spiced and dictated the event and the crowd synched. The statement was loud and clear.
And when Winnie Odinga, the late Raila Amolo Odinga youngest daughter rose to speak, she ungloved and in her, the father’s rebellion DNA was profound.
The presence of Raila Junior at the venue and the passage of his mother’s Ida Odinga greeting to crowd was pregnant and spoke volumes.
The return
Winnie threw the challenge to Kenya’s Genz Mkongwe and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga.
“Leo tume rudi nyumbani. Nilisikia kuna watu wali sema eti hatuwezi kuja hapa (Today, we have returned back home. I hear there were some people saying we cannot come back here.”
“Hawa ni wakina nani? Waelezi nime rudi nyumbani. Nimepitia kwa bedroom ma hata sasa natoa viatu (Who the hell are they? Tell them, I have returned home. I have been to the bedroom and I am even rooming my shoes)” she said.
Pause the negotiations, Let’s talk
After, Chogo, the last born triumphant entry to her father’s political bedroom, Winnie took the battle with her Uncle a notch higher over the leadership of the party and asked them to pause the negotiation and give dialogue a chance.
“Kwenye hi safari sisi tulikuwa abiria na baba alikua driver ya basi hili. Na kuna siku moja tuliamuka na tukashtuka driver amekufa (In the journey, we had the passengers and Raila was the driver of the political bus. One day we woke up to sad news of the demise of the driver).”
“Aliaga dunia. Kidogo wale walikuwa wana keti mbele wamekimbia kwenye steering wheel kila mtu an vutia pande hi na hi (The driver died. Within a short moment, those who were sitting on the front seats took over the steering wheel and everyone steering to a different direction).”
“Wame tukushukuma Sisi kama magunia. Wamesahau, tunasema ngonje ni tu baba alukufa juzi tu. Haraka ya nini bwana. Wacha tuonge kwana simamiza. Wacha tuonge kwanza. Tushonge mbele pamoja (They have thrown us outside lack a sack. They have forgotten us. We are saying wait, Baba just died the other day. What is the hurry for. Let us talk. Stop the negotiations. Let us talk and after that we can move together)” she said.
The podium
Winnie’s team outsmarted Oburu’s in the general arrangement of the venue and the podium. Winnie had a teleprompter and dais placed before she could speak and her delivery was perfect and crisp. The crowd obeyed and stayed away from the main dais while the security arrangement was similar to that of his father.
For Oburu, it was total confusion with the main podium crowded. His speeches was drown in noise and he constantly begged to be allowed to speak.
MP Tom Kagwang tried to calm the crowd and asked Dr Oburu to speak: Daktari speak. “Sema Jambo kwa dakika moja. Daktari. Mos jo piny. (Doctor speak to the people for a minute. Doctor, greet the people)”.
In response Oburu said: “Koro eka adwa wuoyo (it is now when I want to speak). To koro ok miya thuolo mondo alosi (Why do you give me the opportunity to speak). Miya uru thuolo mondo Alosi. Yawa (Kindly give me the opportunity to speak).”
Kajwang tried calming the crowd: “ongea tu daktari, wuo awuoya. (Daktari just speak)”.
In the chaos and confusion Oburu request again: “Koro wena uru mondo Alosi. (Now allow me to speak)” and he speaks out “Wanainchi wa kibira, hamjumbo. ODM” but drown in noise and said “ok owena thuolo mondo Alosi wena uru thuolo mondo Alosi yawa (kindly grant me the opportunity to speak, my people)”.
Oburu in Raila’s bedroom
Last Wednesday, Oburu led a team of ODM leaders allied to him and support the ODM-UDA pre-election pact with President William Ruto.
In his entourage were party national chairman Gladys Wanga, Deputy party leaders Abdulswamad Nassir and Simba Arati among other leaders.
“Nimeanza na kibra, kwasababu nilipoteza ndugu yangu rafiki, ambaye alikua party leader wangu (I have started my rallies with Kibra because I lost my brother and my party leader)” and then speaks in Dholuo “Jodalawa pod ayuago raila ok ungeyo ni pod ayuago raila. Ema omiyo aduogo e bedroom mar Raila mondo ayuage (I have returned to Raila’s bedroom to mourn with you and seek your support)” he said.
Oburu- Winnie Tiff
At the ODM 20th anniversary, Winnie and Oburu fall out became apparent and it was just a matter of time and recently Oburu responded to Winnie saying he was the brain behind the broad based government and that he chaired all the meetings.
“There is something, I wanted to tell you. When it came to the mater of broad based government, the people of ODM entrusted one person with the management of that relationship. That person was Baba Raila Amolo Odinga.”
“That relationship is complicated and therefore we are looking and we are wondering, those who are taking upon themselves to manage it now, are they capable of managing that relationship?”
“I don’t think that is the question for me to answer. That is the question for the people of ODM to answer. That is why the party leader, why I am requesting, we need to go back to the people and have a NDC to see who the people want to pick to manage that same relationship,” she said.
Recently Oburu declared that he has been the one chairing all the broad based meetings between Raila and Ruto, which probably makes him the brainchild and the chief negotiator in the arrangement.
“Those who are saying that Oburu is not validly elected, I challenge them, if they say it is NDC, let us go with them to the NDC and I will call it very soon,” he said.
Oburu said he is the one who has been chairing all the broad based arrangements between Ruto and the late Raila.
“Those who are saying Oburu does not talk, are talking nonsense. In this broad based arrangement, I want to assure those who are saying that it was only Raila who could handle it and that Oburu does not know anything about it.”
“I want to tell them that all the meetings of the broad based arrangements with Ruto, the chairman has been Oburu Odinga before you here today,” he said.
Will the Real Genz outsmart the Genz Mkongwe to drive home to victory?
