Raila for President!

Allow me to invite your objective judgment on my views regarding O.D.M.K presidential candidatures in general and Hon Raila Odinga's candidature in particular and the possible prospects for Kenya.

I wish to begin by saying that I recognize the level of disillusionment that Kenyans have with the current political dispensation. I don't blame Kenyans for being skeptical about the sincerity of politicians; what with the precedent of dishonesty, exhibited by the main beneficiaries of the M.O.U that brought the phenomenon N.A.R.C to power; what with former reformists radically turning out to be pathetic sycophants and worshipers of government absolutism; what with blatant disregard for national integrity and sovereignty; indeed in which country in the world can Aliens - the Artur clowns - enjoy state largesse and privileges and behave like they have bought the country and everybody in it; swaggering and treating the nationals to crude ostentation, insults and sheer snobbery.

Did I hear a Kenyan call it prostituting with the nation!? Kenyans, what with a senior government minister - the snake man - declaring openly and publicly that they indeed didn't really care so much about the constitutional reform but just wanted to remove Moi and to get power; and even later for the same minister to confess that the government we elected with a lot of passion and a pervading sense of national unity had now transformed itself into a dangerous rattle snake ready to bite any embodiment of the freedom we struggled for, and which they promised to deliver.

Surely Kenyans, is there a difference between misrule in Kenyatta's and Moi's government and misrule in Kibaki's government? Honestly, Kenyans, is tribalism, nepotism and cronyism in favor of KAMATUSA bad but tribalism, nepotism, and cronyism in favour of GEMA good? No!!

Dear country men, you will agree with me that the basic fundamental requirement for human interaction is TRUST; that it would be impossible for any positive human interaction if people had no trust on each others good will. "Imagine this; that you have goods to sell but you are not sure that the buyer will give you the money; that you are not sure of the safety of the food that you take in a hotel; that you are not sure of the sincerity of the person you engage in an agreement with - life would certainly be insecure and very crazy!

Now fellow Kenyans, I want to believe that our leaders are supposed to be our eminent role models. Can you imagine a country where the principal leader (The C.E.O) has no regard for that basic ingredient for human relations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? Kenyans, spare me this rubbish about politics being a dirty game, I want to believe that people practice and engage in politics being (whole) human beings. They don't detach their moral selves, so that in politics they are mechanical vesels!!! Certainly not! What they say may be a façade but what they do is truly testimony of what is in their system - their being.

Having said these and going by what we have been subjected to for the last four years I sincerely appreciate that it is only logical that people will develop cynicism about politicians. However, one thing is for certain: we are not going to despair, we are not going to be fatalistic to immorality of any kind, we are not going to resign to misrule of any kind, we are not going to accept rule by deceit, we are not going to accept tokenism; we didn't elect this government to lecture us on what the last regime did or did not do - we know it, that is why we voted it out!!! We didn't elect this government to improve what the previous did but to fundamentally correct the wrongs. This country belongs to all Kenyans from the forty two (42) nationalities; we are not going to condone tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, and corruption.

We are not going to accept a masquerade of hypocrites pretending to be angels and treating us to protestations; we are not going to condone political mercenaries lecturing us on patriotism. We will not settle for a slippage of what we clamored for - fundamental reforms, justice, basic ingredients of responsibility - fairness/equity and transparency. We will certainly not entertain wallowing in this mediocrity.

Consequently therefore, we can only feed our hope with more fuel. We will give our hope more kinetics and expect that the future is brighter. That the most sure vehicle for that hope is CHANGE , and that, that change can only come with trying another set of leaders in the management of the affairs of this county.

But granted we are not angles to know who is speaking the truth and who not we can only make judgment on the basis of track record, past and contemporary actions and individual's pronouncements.

Having said the above, I want to suggest that the most reasonably logical and only alternative step to take as Kenyans is to try the O.D.M. K set of leaders. My reason for this suggestion being:

i) They have been articulating the interest of the people since the government started showing its wavering

ii) They represent a true cocktail of our nation - state- the ideal that captured the aspirations of our people in 2002.

iii) They promise the determination and commitment to correct things and to manifest materially the kind of fundamental change we need for a globally competitive nation.

The fact that we need change, cannot be overemphasized, in fact it would be wrong even to imagine that our own Kenyan brother albeit an American citizen- Senator Barrack Obama came to give us news about the vices that obtain in our country. I believe he merely stated a fact and perhaps only intended to jolt us from our apparent general national political malaise. It was in fact utterly ridiculous to see and hear certain government functionaries suggesting that Kenyans are so daft as to know what is going on in their own country.

Let me now suppose that our remaining task is the choice for the most suitable of the six presidential aspirants of the O.D.M.K. Now my fellow true patriotic Kenyans, you will agree with me that we are currently at a very critical point in our political transition; that if we envisage the coveted social, economic and political vision for this country as espoused by our brother Senator Obama, then you will acknowledge the tremendous challenge that will confront any of the prospective presidents. You will affirm that it will take a decisive leader to take Kenyans through our current quagmire I will suppose that the race for O.D.M.K presidential candidature has arrived at a junction - A metaphorical compass junction; ahead of which lies a huge intimidating and treacherous forest, beyond which there is an expansive clearance of inspiring good potential land; to which everybody wishes to reach.

Sample this analogy; there were these four drivers who aspired to drive themselves and their passengers to beyond the treacherous forest and to the scenic expansive clearance so as to enjoy the inspiration and potential. Each of these 4 drivers obviously needed leadership skills. You will further agree with me that (holding other factors constant) leadership is a factor of various elements, some of the critical ones being:

i) One's personality - especially values espoused, courage, daring, charisma etc..

ii) Experience

iii) Past, present or immediate social environment or other context.

iv) Wherewithal/leadership infrastructure.

Hence, on the basis of the above skills and on account of the principle of driving experience; which proves that it is easy to turn left, the following transpired of the four drivers in their task of tackling the challenging forest. The story goes that:

Driver no 4 with a background of patronage, little experience, but with tremendous resources (fuel) and necessary goodwill, contemplated the forest, considered that he still had enough fuel, decided that he needed some counsel on how to get through the forest and so went back to prepare thoroughly for the challenge.

Then came driver no 3 who with a background of patronage still, a little experience, sparing resources (fuel) a fair resolve but tremendous good will, decided to tackle the forest by taking a left turn; having in mind the convenience of turning left and going back should the challenge prove too much.

Soon came driver number 2 who with little patronage, little experience, little or/ fair resources but huge courage and decisiveness but with a sense of caution took the right turn. He determined to turn left and move forward as soon as it was safe enough.

Ultimately, it was the turn of driver no 1 who arrived with little patronage, vast experience tremendous intrepidity/ resolve, good will, and reasonably adequate resources (fuel); predictably took the road straight ahead, daring the treachery and all the challenges, arriving sooner and earlier than the rest.

Now allow me to give my interpretation of the symbolism that those four movements have for a prospective Kenya. I want to posit that we are at the moment in the middle of the road, on the (traffic island /round about) symbolic of the present government (Read Narc-Kenya) A movement backwards would be to Moi / Kenyatta regimes dispensation; and anything that pertains to that political epoch.

A left turn would be a slight advance/ improvement of the current dispensation, in terms of positive policy change and empowerment of the people for better governance.

A right turn would be a remarkable improvement in positive policy change for even more enhanced welfare of the people of this country.

Moving straight ahead would be a profound leap in advancement of positive policy change for the general welfare of the people of Kenya.

My contention is that Kenya as a country/nation is at the crossroads. And that the forest is representative of the various challenges that our society faces; that it possess a threat to our progress to a better Kenya, it intimidates any prospective leader. My take is that at this stage of our political history we need a leadership that has the resolve and vision to take the challenges head on and to deliver us to the realm of potential. We need a leader who has a greater combination of the above four qualities.

I believe that if political background and individuality of personality can be effective parameters of judgment, then I would be very objective and fair in appropriating the above four movements and their respective drivers thus;

Driver number 4 and the corresponding turn would likely be Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta

Driver number 3 and corresponding turn would likely be both Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka and Hon. Musalia Mudavadi

Driver number 2 and the respective turn would likely be both Hon. William Rutto and Hon. Najib Balala.

And definitely driver number 1 would most likely be Hon. Raila A. Odinga. I wish to state that, notwithstanding their comparative individual deficiencies, I have a lot respect for all the presidential hopefuls of O.D.M.K; that they are the single most competent grouping of presidential hopefuls in Kenya at the moment, but among them, one personage stands taller than the rest in terms of what is needed to streamline the mess in Kenya today – that person is Hon Raila A. Odinga.

i) He is perhaps the most proactive, and charismatic of the six and the one with the most initiative.

ii) Among them, he is obviously the one with the vastest experience of the intrigues of our three republics. He has been the single individual who has exposed all the misdeeds of especially the current government; he has fought misrule in the two immediate governments we have had.

iii) He has always sided with the people at the hour of need

iv) He has suffered oppression, antagonism and maligning propaganda from this and previous government because of voicing the interest of the people.

v) Nevertheless, he has shown magnanimity and accepted to work with the previous leadership which had detained him for a total of 8 years, 6 of them in solitary confinement. It is very rare to find such a magnanimous individual!

vi) He is the longest serving true reformist and has a track record of consistency.

vii) He has shown unselfishness by supporting the current president to be the presidential candidate for N.A.R.C.

viii) He has the requisite wherewithal and political infrastructure to execute progressive governance.

ix) He is an unparalleled team leader and inspirer.

x) He knows and has traveled to every corner of this country, hence knows the local problems of the people...

xi) He is older than the rest of the contestants and therefore it is only fair that he leads his younger colleagues.

xii) He is the only one of the contestants representing a truly cosmopolitan constituency, hence indicative of his ability for cosmopolitan sensibility.

It is my concluding position therefore that we (Kenyans) can only be fair to the sacrifice of such a great man by giving him the chance to expend his leadership potential at the highest level of decision making in this country. Indeed, Hon. R. Odinga is the best man for the job.

Raila for president - good luck man!

Elisha Obongo
Hewlett-Packard
Enterprise Systems Group
Tel: 281 514 4906
ema_il; elisha.obongo AT hp Dot coM