Today marks a year since former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was sworn in as “People’s President” in a mock ceremony that was held at Uhuru Park, Nairobi.
The ceremony was skipped by his allies Kalonzo Musyoka, Moses Wetang’ula and Musalia Mudavadi to the chagrin of the crowd that thronged the park.
Mr Odinga was angry with the outcome of the August 8, 2017 General Election in which Mr Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner with 54.17 percent of the vote, with Mr Odinga trailing second with 44.94 percent of the vote.
Although he later won a Supreme Court petition that ordered fresh polls, Mr Odinga put a series of demands to the government and the electoral body and, finally, asked his supporters to boycott the elections, with a promise: that if Mr Kenyatta was sworn in for another term, Mr Odinga would also be sworn in.
But what is known is that this was the beginning of the end of the National Super Alliance (Nasa), a joint opposition ticket that had given Mr Kenyatta’s Jubilee some political scare in the polls.
More so, it also led to the metamorphosis of Mr Odinga from a rabble-rouser to a contained politician.
It was Amani National Congress Secretary-General Barack Muluka who openly accused Mr Odinga of tricking the other Nasa chiefs to stay away “until he calls them” and for “sneaking” to Uhuru Park ceremony without their knowledge.
Mr Odinga had apparently — according to Mr Muluka — asked them to switch off their phones and that he would reach them using a Nigerian number.
Although Mr Odinga later tried to reach out to Mr Musyoka, Mr Wetang’ula and Mr Mudavadi by inviting them to an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) meeting on February 28, only Mr Musyoka showed up — only to be embarrassed by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho who accused the trio of “cowardice” and promised to “show them dust”.
Whether Mr Odinga plotted this fallout within Nasa, and which freed him from Nasa politics, is not clear.
But Mr Odinga would take a back seat only to emerge on a Friday morning, March 9, 2018, on the steps of Harambee House in a jolly mood after holding talks with President Kenyatta.
The meeting was only known to just a few of the ODM members and apart from Mr Junet Mohammed and Mr Odinga’s daughter Winnie, the other ODM honchos were not aware of the talks that would shape President Kenyatta’s second term and Mr Odinga’s politics.
Like all Kenyans, the other Nasa leaders learnt through the media that President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga were having talks at Harambee House.
“The divide ends here,” Mr Odinga promised, saying the two wanted to resuscitate the unity dreams of Kenya’s founding fathers (and their fathers, too); founder President Jomo Kenyatta and his Vice-President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, both since dead.
Since the handshake Raila has positioned himself as the people’s President. He is in constant consultation with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In all National Events ,Hon Raila Odinga has since received recognition for his step that has given birth to a new Kenya.