By Anderson Ojwang
Scenes from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and back home in Kenya could have birthed a new political dispensation, with a new narrative of friends and enemies emerging to take centre stage.
The night meeting following the defeat of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the election for African Union Commission chairman in Addis Ababa, and the subsequent celebrations by a section of the country, could have triggered a new political realignment.
Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek revealed that the night meeting after the defeat resolved to move the friendship between President William Ruto and Raila to the next political dispensation.
“The whole nation was behind the candidature of Raila Odinga. In Raila Amollo Odinga’s candidature, Kenya had a strong candidate—a strong pan-Africanist, a leader who is very progressive, a democrat, a leader who had the interests of Africa at heart.
The results were not appealing; we lost, but in that loss, something was born in Addis. In Addis, unity was born. In Addis, comradeship was born.
I want to tell everyone who was laughing at Raila and dancing that nothing was lost in Addis. The only thing lost was the seat of the AUC. But in Addis, in despair and disappointment, the leaders who were there giving Raila moral support agreed that the interests of this nation supersede any individual interests and that we will come back home, work as a team, and build one progressive country—Kenya.
Anyone who expected that Raila’s loss would mark the end of his friendship with President Ruto, I want to tell them that Raila is a statesman, and President Ruto is a statesman. They will forge ahead in the interest of Kenya,” he said.
Homa Bay Member of Parliament George Opondo Kaluma said the loss in Addis has not affected the relationship between President Ruto and Raila; rather, it has strengthened their union.
He said MPs from Nyanza would soon visit Rift Valley to spread the message of “who are our friends and who are our enemies to the people.“
“We are even closer to William Ruto. As I had previously stated, we are not moving out. In fact, now we have the glue and the cement. We will be going to Rift Valley, possibly in the middle of this week, to announce to them that we now know our friends, just as we also know our enemies.
We are saying the ODM party and Azimio must formalise their relationship with President Ruto now, and whoever will be the candidate in that coalition arrangement, I can tell you, will be the next president come the 2027 election.”
MP Fatuma Mohammed expressed disappointment in those who celebrated the defeat and committed her support to President Ruto.
“There were Kenyans who took buses and stayed on the road for four days to be in Addis Ababa, regardless of their tribe, party, and age. So to those Kenyans and media houses, please remember we are all Kenyans when you speak.
We want to tell those who were dancing—shame on you! And we are waiting for you. We love Ruto, and we will repay him because he loves our son.
I swear, we are waiting for you. We will embarrass you. You will not get a single vote in Kenya. You are not even Kenyan! In fact, I voted yes (for impeachment), and if you bring him back, I will vote yes again. He should even be expelled from this country,” she said.
Rangwe MP Dr Lilian Gogo, speaking in Parliament, expressed her support for President Ruto, saying she was touched when she saw the President drive to the election venue with Raila.
“For all that I care, William, any time you call on us when you want us—William, William, we saw you. William, we saw what you did for our very own. Someone we value, somebody that Kenya values.
Someone who has gone through so much for this country, somebody who sacrifices, somebody who is not a tribalist, and someone who has given so much for the great Republic of Kenya.
President William, you came, and you were there for Baba. And William, you talked to us. I am telling you, what you did for Baba, the way Kenyans were mourning, and the way we were grieving—both of you stood and spoke to us in the evening in Addis. I congratulate you. Just unite Kenyans. Bring Kenyans together,” she said.
However, Advocate Willis Otieno, speaking during a TV talk show, said some people want to ride on Raila’s back and want the status quo to remain so they can continue benefiting.
“Raila and his troops can decide to walk straight into the broad-based government. But there are political consequences for everybody. They can now go and take the skunk of William Ruto that John Mbadi talked about and fully immerse themselves in it. The people of Kenya will have a date to decide if that is the kind of skunk they want to continue with.
We are going to have people around Raila Odinga saying, ‘Give me this position.’ We will get new Cabinet Secretary and Permanent Secretary positions. But since 2013, there is one person in that political space who, when everyone else gets everything, never gets anything—and that is Raila Odinga. People are riding on Raila Odinga’s back to get positions for themselves.
I am sure in that space today, there are those who are saying, ‘We cannot rock the boat, and we must find accommodation now, fully in government,” he said.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka had extended an olive branch to Raila to join them in “liberating” the country from President Ruto.
