WHY RAILA FACES TOUGH OPTIONS FOR 2022

ODM leader Raila Odinga is walking a tightrope between tough political options ahead of next year’s presidential duel.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reluctance to declare his game plan and empower the ODM leader through the complicated succession battle has further boxed Raila into a corner.

An aggressive resurgence by Deputy President William Ruto and lack of a solid strategy by Uhuru’s camp to counter his wave countrywide has left Raila pondering his next moves.

Uhuru has maintained a studious silence even as Ruto appears to be taking over Mt Kenya, a crucial vote bloc that Raila would have relied on.

Raila’s former loyal strongholds in Coast and Western Kenya are slipping away as Ruto mounts a ruthless assault to position himself as the man to beat in 2022.

He’s putting together a coalition of lesser parties that will pack a big punch.

There are jitters within Raila’s camp that the Building Bridges Initiative process to amend the Constitution could prove a poisoned chalice following tremours in the President’s  Mt Kenya turf. BBI support is less than solid, to put it mildly.

The litany of problems has sent Raila back into the drawing board to craft an plan to buttress his grip on his backyards and penetrate new frontiers.

With the President’s Mt Kenya vote bloc already split down the middle, Raila faces a massive headache to counter the hustler nation wave and turn the tables in his favour.

An explosive letter by Senate Majority Chief Whip  Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a) warned President Kenyatta about a spectacular defeat of the BBI referendum in Mt Kenya, exposing Raila’s fragile hopes for the region.

Political analysts say Raila’s think tank must come out forcefully to push Uhuru to boldly throw a spanner in the works and redeem  ODM’s fortunes in Mt Kenya.

It is urgent handshake proponents from the larger Mt Kenya region craft a wall-to-wall strategy to enhance the BBI prospects and strengthen the handshake partnership

Njoroge Baiya

Former Githunguri MP Njoroge Baiya on Thursday admitted the unfolding dynamics in Uhuru’s turf poses a major danger to the handshake prospects if unchecked.

The former chairman of the National Assembly’s Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee said the President’s backers must quickly devise a strategy to bolster the handshake.

“It is urgent handshake proponents from the larger Mt Kenya region craft a wall-to-wall strategy to enhance the BBI prospects and strengthen the handshake partnership,” Baiya said.

There are concerns vicious infighting among key BBI forces in the President’s backyard and sustained forays by Ruto’s Tangatanga brigade could have damaged the Uhuru-Raila game plan.

But Kakamega Governor and ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya maintained the ODM boss remains the country’s most trusted choice if he seeks the presidency.

“Leave those who are making a lot of noise, go to the grassroots and see the kind of support Raila enjoys, it is overwhelming, he is not walking any tightrope,” Oparanya told the Star.

The Raila’ ally in Western dismissed the Tangatanga wave, insisting the handshake will produce the country’s next president.

“BBI guarantees the country a better future, Uhuru and Raila are working together on this and be sure no one will beat that combination,” he said.

Raila’s strategists have been banking  on support from the President’s Mt Kenya turf to build a strong machine to vanquish Ruto’s presidential prospects.

There is an unspoken feeling among Ruto’s supporters the BBI process had been crafted as the Special Purpose Vehicle to market Raila in Mt Kenya and deliver him to State House.

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa declared the Uhuru- Raila unity pact dead, saying it was built on quicksand with the aim of undermining Ruto and boxing him out of the succession.

“The hustler nation holds the flame of the country’s  future and no doubt those who thought they had cornered us are afraid because soon they will be vanquished with their BBI,” the Ruto ally said.

Barasa, a vigorous Raila critic, said the Tangatanga movement has managed to turn the tables on their rivals faster than ever could have been imagined.

“We have nearly 18 months to the 2022 General Election, we have our candidate and are doing everything possible to market him and prepare for the polls,” he said.

Source: The Star