While away, Baba, remember children of lesser god
Dear Baba Raila Amollo Odinga,
Receive my greetings. I hope you are well. I am quite aware you are a busy man on shuttle diplomacy ahead of the African Union Commission elections next year. But, sir, kindly find time and read this short epistle from an emissary of your supporters. I speak for them, today.
Baba, I personally cannot claim to be your enthusiast but I identify with you on many national issues. I have supported you many times in political contests where you take the front lane.
So I identify with your supporters’ feelings whenever they support you but lose political battles, especially your attempts to secure tenancy at the House on the Hill. We have often lost our arguments in competent courts of law, felt disappointed but accepted and moved on.
Most of your supporters, Baba, believe you are ever right. They never question most of your decisions. On several occasions, you have invited them to street protests, and without interrogating your reasons, they have heeded the calls and poured their bodies and souls out there to fight your battles, thinking they were theirs, too.
They have also sung your songs and chanted slogans, some whose meaning they do not even know (for instance, my Luo friends tell me there are no words like tialala or tibim in Dholuo). That is how much you are loved, Tinga!
That aside, we now understand you are bound for the “presidency” of Africa. A higher calling, it must be! However, there are fears someone, among those who do not appreciate your place in Kenyans’ lives, wants you out of local politics, for selfish reasons.
The African Union position you are being fronted for is definitely prestigious, but, Baba, Kenyans need you more, here at home. This nation has never needed government oversight than it does now. Baba, you are leaving millions of citizens orphaned, politically.
More worryingly, the people you taught us to hate for stealing your election victories and ridiculing you (and we took your word for it), the ones you vowed never to recognise, are now the ones popularising your candidacy around the continent.
Your have, without a signal to your diehard supporters, legitimised the offices. Many feel fooled for believing you, but will become wiser! Since we don’t question your decisions, Baba, we give you our blessings in this endeavour.
However, forgive some of us for being persuaded you must have realised your time for local politics is up and opted for a safer exit strategy (I will be more than glad to donate this column to political pundits who wish to challenge this), sir. Otherwise, that’s what it is!
Assuming the latter is the case, Baba, you should groom an able successor; a man or woman with a thick skin to stand the antics of our presidential politics. With all due respect, Agwambo, the leaders in your close circle in Azimio, are simply uncut for the political mandate Kenyans bequeathed you. Hopefully, there is still time to package one.
As Moses in the journey to Canaan, anoint for a Joshua and Caleb to hold our hand into that promised land, sir. They must be full of integrity and worthy of their salt in politics.
Baba, while away, your supporters fear they will be treated as children of a lesser god. With the guardian angel out of sight, they fear the country will most likely report yet another NYS or Eurobond scandal. The signs are everywhere. And if Kenyans will be swindled this way, you’ll be blamed for being an Elijah without an Elisha!
Meanwhile, Baba, we wish you all the best in the AU bid. But in the most unlikely event it doesn’t work out, please don’t hesitate to come back home because the ‘ground’ badly needs you.
Kenyan politics without you will be tasteless and colourless. You spice it with riddles, humour and powerful mobilisation.
For now…Go! Go! Go Baba and conquer! You are unbwogable, Tinga!
—The writer is an editor with People Daily
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