Raila Odinga's Bid For the Presidency: Can Kenyans Stomach The Truth?

Raila Odinga is a darling to many Kenyans having fought for democracy for the past four decades but few know that the erstwhile politician is also known to engage in unorthodox tactics to raise money for his political activities.

Having said that, there are those Kenyans who prefer to turn a blind eye to the any weaknesses that Agwambo may have, after all he is almost the only one effectively standing up against the current government which has in many ways brought lots of hardships to Kenyans, and that is apart from the broken promises that are now conveniently being swept under the carpet. It is like the situation with Nelson Mandela where most opted to turn a blind eye to his extreme and suspicious affection for young models. After all the old man suffered for 27 years in detention.

Raila too has suffered a great deal and will probably remain the most detained Kenyan in history since the law allowing the president to detain without trial has since been repelled.

However we have reached a place in Kenyan's long hard work to a second liberation where the truth must be told at all times. Even when this truth concerns our dear proven heroes and heroines and is therefore "painful and difficult to swallow."

Those who have aspired for parliamentary seats in Luo nyanza only know to well that it is impossible to succeed without the nod of Raila, which does not come cheap by any standards.

It is common knowledge that all Luo MPs belong to one of two groups, there are those who are related to Odinga in one way or the other and then they are those who donated generously to Raila's personal account to ensure they won his party's nomination which was and still is a direct ticket to parliament.

However majority of the current Luo MPs belong to the latter group with some donating millions to ensure that they got the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) nomination ticket that enabled them a smooth sailing to parliament.

Heading the list is foreign affairs minister Raphael Tuju who when he fell out with Raila confessed that he donated so much money, that he was given the nomination in spite of losing hands down to his opponent.

In a bitter exchange of words with Raila, Tuju challenged him to tell the world how much he had to cough from his pockets to secure the LDP nominations for the Rarieda parliamentary seat which he represents. Raila remained mum on this issue.

Others who are said to also have given Odinga plenty of cash is former Kenya ports authority managing director Philip Okundi who also sailed smoothly to parliament through the Rangwe seat and a host of other top professionals who are in parliament today because of Raila.

The list is long and these legislators who bought their way to parliament are mostly now on their way out as Raila has already picked a new line up to replace them as he collects more money to finance his forthcoming Presidential campaign.

Among the Luo mps who are in parliament today as a result of being related to Raila include his brother Dr Oburu Odinga, Gor Sunguh, Jakoyo Midiwo among others who have performed disastrously and are also on their way out maybe save for Oburu who represents Bondo, the rural home for the Odinga family.

There are a few others who managed to get to parliament by simply worshipping Raila like Mbita legislator Otieno Kajwang who always thinks, eats and breathes Raila and is usually used as a hatchet man for the maverick politician.

Raila is said to accumulate a fortune ahead of any general election and is the most sought after man in Nyanza as aspirants chase after him in a bid to secure nominations in his party ticket knowing too well that it is a direct ticket to parliament where the salaries and allowances are among the most lucrative in the world.

Mr Odinga has also been involved in other forms of corruption which he has managed to get away with as there has never been sufficient evidence to crucify him and whenever he is accused of any vice, he simply politicizes the whole issue and gets much needed sympathy from his supporters who run into millions as he is perhaps the most popular politician in Kenya today.

Anthe case in point that Raila critics are quick to point to was when he was roads minister in Kibaki's government. It is alleged that he influenced the tendering system for the Nairobi-Mombasa highway where a German construction company, Strabag, was awarded the tender in a process that was not perceived to be competitive.

The matter was brought up in parliament after it was discovered that Raila toured Germany at the invitation of the construction company in a trip that his wife Ida tugged along and more questions than answers arose but Raila claimed it was a self-sponsored trip contrary to emerging facts.

A one time close ally of Raila who works in the roads ministry confided to this writer that Odinga had a more than cordial relationship with a number of road contractors but his dealings with them were so secretive that there was never evidence of him receiving money and favors in return of awarding them lucrative tenders.

"Raila is such a shrewd operator that it's almost impossible to catch him with his pants down or his hands in the cookie jar' The senior government official confided to this writer soon after Raila was dropped from the cabinet for campaigning against the new constitution which saw the government lose.

It is not a secret that Raila is fabulously wealthy and has the capacity to self finance his presidential campaign with little information on the true source of his wealth besides the family inheritance and generous donations from his local and foreign friends.

But his less radical supporters would argue that Raila is no different form the current crop of politicians and if anything stands heads and shoulders above them because his style of making money does not involve fleecing the public and causing a lot of suffering to ordinary folks like some of his former colleagues are notorious for. Surely one cannot compare Raila with for example Chris Murungaru who is said to have grown fabulously rich overnight doing the sort of "business" that attract the attention of International intelligence agencies. Britain banned the former internal security and later transport minister in the Kibaki government after he was seen in meetings with underworld drug barons during an official visit to London.

Still, would Raila make the sort of president that Kenya needs at this particular point in time? Would he for instance fight corruption with the required vigour when he himself has been involved in it, even if it is to a lesser degree than colleagues?

These are some of the questions Kenyan voters will have to answer. It is gratifying that whatever verdict they give Raila Amollo Odinga, one thing can never be denied about him. And that is the fact that his place in Kenyan history is firmly booked.

DON'T MISS PART 2 OF OUR RAILA PRESIDENTIAL BID ANALYSIS TOMORROW.