Features

Why politics is journey of a thousand miles

Monday, January 10th, 2022 08:30 | By
Former Opposition leader Kenneth Matiba who died in 2018. Photo/PD/File

As a young man growing up in Migori, I keenly followed Kenya’s multiparty elections in 1992.

Interestingly much of my interest in politics was borne out of the admiration I had for my sister, who these days asks me how I know stuff that happened when I was just a little boy. 

But her mastery of politics and how she espoused such intellectual understanding of politics, the campaign period and the powers that were behind the original Ford just wowed me.

For a lower primary school child who did not even understand what Lang’ata was and whether Raila and Lang’ata were one and the same, that must have been too much. 

But trust me, the two proper nouns that stuck in my mind were of Raila and Lang’ata. For a long time, I did not even understand the difference between a constituency and a candidate, but I must admit I was in good company.

Fast forward and President Daniel arap Moi wins the 1992 election and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who we all thought was going to win was placed a distant 4th after Moi, Kenneth Matiba and Mwai Kibaki. Reality sinks in, I get more curious and get immersed into politics.

But the drama does not end there because Moi wins and because he wants to consolidate clout in Parliament, we have these wave of defections and petitions all over, ostensibly to weaken opposition.

Kanu had 100 seats in Parliament while Matiba and Jaramogi both had 31 seats with Kibaki’s DP garnering 26. 

Pro Rashid Mzee is challenged in the in Kisauni by one Karisa Maitha, and a Raila led young Turks descend there and give the petitioner a second thorough beating. 

In Migori Constituency, currently Suna East and Suna West, Charles Owino Likowa who won the 1992 General Election was forced by Kanu to defect from Ford Kenya and seek a fresh mandate on a Kanu ticket.

The campaigns are heated and even Jaramogi himself comes to Migori to drum up support for the Ford Kenya candidate; George Owino Achola. The race is tight between Likowa on a Kanu ticket and Achola of Ford Kenya. 

The voting is peaceful but at the tallying centre, the powerful Kanu machinery is out to frustrate the will of the people of Migori.

Out of nowhere, Raila forces himself against a thousand and one odds into the tallying centre at Migori Teachers Training College, protects the votes and Achola wins, the people of Migori are happy and Ford Kenya manages to pull the numbers and end up being the official opposition party. 

Today when I see promises by different political leaders, I ask myself whether they have what it takes to be that leader who fights for the masses. 

You see, the 1992 young Turks of Gitobu Imanyara, Paul Muite, James Orengo, Kiraitu Murungi, Gibson Kamau Kuria, Dr Willy Mutunga, Raila and other luminaries of the second liberation like John Khaminwa, George Anyonya made a big difference under the tutelage of Jaramogi, Matiba and Masinde Muliro, and they can certainly lay claim to reform and public interest credentials.  

That significant journey contributed a great deal to where Kenya is today and we wouldn’t be here if these leaders and their contemporaries had not become.

They had to start the journey of being what they wanted to become: reformist. 

Fast forward and in 2002 and Kibaki wins the presidency, we get the 2010 Constitution and Uhuru Kenyatta takes the reins of power.

And the 2017 elections almost plunge the country in chaos with some calling for secession and Handshake happens.  

It brings the much needed political tranquility that accelerates distributed grand infrastructure development all over the country.

Critics have opined that the investments in infrastructure and the concerted war against graft have lowered the threshold of what the next leader has to do to change the lives of Kenyans.

 Given these circumstances, it is safe to say that despite the political rhetoric, no politician can be that which he or she has not become.  [email protected]

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