How Democratic Is The Orange Democratic Movement?

The consensus within the Orange Democratic Party is that Raila Odinga should not be opposed by anybody when he seeks the party’s ticket to vie for the presidency. The feeling is that this is a waste of time and resources because he is the most suitable candidate and there is really no other stronger candidate to represent the party. So why waste time and resources going through the motions of proving the obvious?

"Weak-leaf" Musalia Mudavadi: The meek hen who has suddenly turned into a lion

Folks this is the reason why I keep on saying in this blog that it is easier to teach old dogs new tricks than it is to expect to change our current political class. We just have to get rid of the current crop of leaders (including our beloved Raila Odinga) and go for a fresh start with a brand new crop of leaders (for better or for worse) if we are going to have a fighting chance of saving our country.

This is exactly the kind of “democracy” that Mzee Jomo Kenyatta fostered in KANU in the early days and just look at what happened? This unique Kenyan “democracy” caused the kind of problems in our country that are not likely to be solved in our generation, indeed they will probably need another two or three generations of bado mapabano to deal with them.

Raila Odinga himself has been forced to state the obvious and announce that Mudavadi has every right to oppose him for the party ticket. But sadly this does not change the fact that the “real owners of ODM” will hear nothing of it. Their kind of democracy says that those who are worshipped are exempt from the rules that everybody else follows. Kenyan voters now have a right to ask a simple question;

If they are behaving like this before their man gets to State house and starts to yield real power, how will they behave when they are drunk with whatever people inhale in the corridors of power?

Chances are that a blog like Kumekucha may be quickly shut down and told that we have no right to make any negative comments about his most Excellency the PORK.

Having said that it is also true that the behavior of Musalia Mudavadi is not consistent with his character and the politician we have known all along who avoids confrontation at all costs. Some people here in Kumekucha are fond of calling him Weak leaf (instead of Wickliffe which is his Christian name). This is to emphasize the fact that this is a politician who has never been his own man.

Admittedly you really cannot blame the ODM “democrats” for suspecting that Mudavadi is not acting alone in his quest for the ODM presidential ticket. For starters the man is very close to retired President Daniel arap Moi and there are those who suspect that Moi could be behind a bid to weaken the party from within. Even if it is not Moi who is involved ODM has numerous other enemies who litter the landscape just waiting for a chance to sink in their daggers into the heart of the party.

It is also true that there is no way that a closely fought race for the presidency within ODM between Raila and Mudavadi will affect party unity big time, going into the election. Chances are that if and when Mudavadi loses to Raila, the Luhya vote will fly out of the window never to return, Fred Gumo or no Fred Gumo.

Knowing Kenyan politics these are fears that are justified.

Still the rules of true democracy have no exception. Not even when a hen suddenly turns into a lion.