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Post by abdulmote on Mar 18, 2013 21:18:59 GMT 3
It is almost painful having to write on a particular issue time and again if only to reassert what one believes to be the truth, nay, facts, only made almost invisible beneath the fog of deception.
To many, there is no doubt in their minds that Rayila is indeed the only true "Agwambo" amongst the Kenyan elites of democracy. After all, the man has fought many battles and had to endure lengthy incarcerations as a 'reward' for his efforts. Many would readily attest to the fact that were it not for Rayila's sacrifices, Kenya would not be where it is to day and the freedom we are now taking for granted would not have been within the platter of our almost unfettered enjoyment.
In my shared opinion, I too would concede to the fact that Rayila was a true catalyst of change that we all desired. It goes without saying that without him and some various others, perhaps Kenya would not be where it is today, in terms of enjoying the democratic space and freedom, which just decades ago would have been unimaginable.
Why then has Rayila failed, time and again, in clinching his desired pursuit, that he may for once at least acquire his crowning moment?
For me personally, being as cynical as I am on human nature and his weakness for illusory desires, I posit that Rayila is not what many have been seeing in him, a "true revolutionist" who is out there, with simple and principled aim of fighting for the common man, or the proverbial "Wanjiku" for that matter.
In our modern human history, true revolutionists are there and indeed we can think of some examples; I have in mind the late Mahatma Gandhi and Che Guavara, but also the living legends found in Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela and perhaps even Hugo Chavez. Rayila, in my books, does not get any where near their status.
"How come"? I hear you ask.
Kenya has its history and the "tyranny of numbers" equation did not start today. Others have already mentioned in this honorable Jukwaa that Rayila's kinsmen have been "waiting for their manna", which never seems to come. Along the same lines I say Rayila has cleverly been playing that messiah who promises to deliver what the poor folks have always thought to be their only route to "Canaan", but only just.
For the numerical Dholuos and in this case symbolically represented by Rayila, no one deserved to rule and occupy the State House in this day and age more than Rayila. Their time had come after others have had their fair share and "time to eat".
Fair enough, some would say and I may naively agree, for Kenyans have always been in perpetual desire for change. A 'good change' for that matter and no one seemed capable of bringing forth such a claim to fruition but Rayila.
Where I find fault is in Rayila playing the "revolutionary" card as he 'ought' to be. Whilst many a times he has been able to 'convince' the masses that he is the right choice for such a noble task, Rayila was readily prepared to appease others, be they hypocrites, greedy pigs or the biblical Judas Iscariot.
To cut the long story short, and in consideration of recent political scheme of things, Raila made it abundantly clear that there is nothing wrong with him joining forces with all and sundry, from wherever and whenever, as long as their joining him may assist the same towards the illusory coveted prize.
Just a few weeks from the election time, Rayila indiscriminately welcomed anyone who was prepared to join him, in the name and in pursuit of such a change. With the shouts of "ODM, ODM"! everyone was meant to be sanitised once they have chosen to join the party, irrespective of their background and immediate history, or even what they stood for! The public was expected to buy that and keep their faith, but would they?
If my memory serves me right, the recent "alliances and coalitions" being formed, had reached such unethical proportions, it literally became difficult to imagine who was any better for change than the other. Rayila would welcome anyone and everyone, if only they would help him to win the covetous seat!
Where is the "revolutionist" in him? I ask. How is someone supposed to share the spoils of war with the hypocrites, the corrupt, the murderers, the criminals and the corrupt and at the same time proclaim to be any different to the same if only for their beliefs and principles?
But this is where the electorate had to make their choice, once every five years' decision. Between the two equally and potentially corrupt thieves, which one was the public supposed to believe in?
Well, there is no doubt that Uhuru and his Deputy Ruto have the 'gift of the gab', as they say it. They also had the money and lots of it, to be able to grease many a pair of hands for their ultimate goal. Uhuru and Ruto are charismatic and significantly eloquent. The same had significant numbers behind them, if only as a lure for others to follow. And the public, with so much of their inner desire now but all disappeared, their choice was simple.
The revolutionist was never going to be. His actions betrayed his words. His promises faltered and could not even remotely be achieved or sustained. The deception became clear for all to see, and those who had their dream stolen once again, had nothing but reality to be content with.
Rayila became a victim of his personal failures.
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Post by cheshirecat on Mar 19, 2013 22:29:10 GMT 3
bang on the money. Great article.
In my offline discussions with Cord supporters; whenever the issue of how valid Raila's revolutionary creds still are; I gently point them towards characters like kalonzo, Wako even Ntimama. Some, with fairly advanced powers of denial will bluster through those with comments like 'transformation' and that people like Kalonzo 'wont carry much weight in RAO's revolutionary government (I wonder if kalonzo knows that?)
Any way past that, I point them to Maina Njenga and his lovely band of brothers.
That usually silences them ;D
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Post by mugabe on Mar 20, 2013 17:17:27 GMT 3
abdulmote
Brilliant post. One of the best I have ever read here. However, whilew agreeing with you I think the biggest reason why Raila 'sold out' is because of the nature of our politics. Honestly it is too ethnic to think that a true revolutionary would win on appeal only. The deluded masses wallow in their false consciousness and one wonders if they will ever be swayed by ideology of any kind that ethnic superiority and ethnic accumulation. Long before Raila failed a true revolutionary Bildad Kaggia failed. The masses who had more in common with Kaggia sided with the looters. The experience of Kaggia and others suggests that being a true revolutionary is a waste of time.
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Post by mank on Mar 20, 2013 20:51:15 GMT 3
Mugabe,
You seem to imply that there is an obvious ideological difference between Raila and Uhuru, and Kenyans have chosen the inferior ideological promise merely on ethnic motivations. That's a good start at challenging the ethnic dorminance of Kenya's politics. Now go further and articulate the ideological differences that were in competition the elections. Let's start there and then ask ourselves whether indeed Kenyans decided ethinicity was more important than ideology.
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emali
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Post by emali on Mar 20, 2013 23:23:53 GMT 3
Raila has his faults which have been discussed ad nausem here on Jukwaa by many objective and subjective posters including myself, it’s safe to say the man is far from perfect...but I wouldn’t go so far as to say he is a victim of his own failures...I lean more to what mugabe is intimating... If we didn’t have the ethnic card and the ‘mademoni’ in our politics and it was all about issues I would buy the line that Raila is a victim of his own failures...how exactly was Raila going to win based on our ethnic voting patterns? Raila won in 2007 the only difference today is that he doesn’t have the Kalenjin vote, he was still the same politician prone to gaffes then as he is today. Uhuruto won simply because of the tyranny of numbers, the fact that they were better organised than CORD, had more money & better Rhetoric simply padded their numbers, the election was long lost & if Raila had turned to Obama he still would have lost. The more damning question the proves Raila’s failures have nothing to do with winning or losing an election is this...If Raila was the one facing the ICC with all factors held constant would he have been able to run and win the presidency? Not in a million years & neither would anyone else but Uhuru thanks to his lineage, numbers, PEV and the political/economical elite that run this Country... If we look at it closely its EVENTS that makes a PORK, Kenyatta came in with all the Euphoria of Independence, Moi came in due to Kenyatta’s death & Kibaki came in when the dictatorial Moi had no other options left, Raila to his credit went against the trend but was robbed before we returned to the EVENTS scenario with the ICC/PEV pushing Uhuruto through...it all goes back to the numbers (the ‘right’ numbers or PEV) and EVENTS... I look at Raila and I don’t see a victim of his own failures what I see is a man who was simply not going to be elected because he didn’t have the numbers...If Raila was a Gikuyu we all know he would have been president after all Kibaki was a complete Joke in the early 90’s leaving KANU when everyone else had left, the fence sitter, general Kiguoya (s.p.) who looked anything but presidential...yet he was voted in by the biggest mandate to date... Raila will always have his place in Kenya’s history...I shudder to think if we didn’t have him...by now everyone including Kalonzo would have joined Jubilee just like Mudavadi did not do this week...he is needed to keep whoever is in power honest...yes he has his faults but he is always made to look worse than he is and sometimes it’s due to self inflicted wounds... |
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kelly
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Post by kelly on Mar 21, 2013 5:42:37 GMT 3
I think the question that begs next would be, can Kenya produce a president from a minority tribe? I think the answer is yes, the only caveat I can put is that sans stealing or any irregularities and politics being a popularity contest (as Kibaki learnt the hard way in 2007), it is possible.
I think what we have witnessed for teh last 50yrs in Kenya politics is purely based on factors at play. all well known. I would posit some as...
1. Big man syndrome (The separation of the presidency and the president at any particular time has been problematic)
2. Tribal nationalism (The sad case of our turn to eat and our tribe must produce a president)
3. Institutions (The election body has always been a sham)
4. Rent seekers (They would not want to lose power and the only way they see themselves retaining it is through cryonism, blackmail, murder, etc)
5. Visionary leaders (We only see the here and now)
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Post by b6k on Mar 21, 2013 8:43:56 GMT 3
I for one believe you can never really know a politician's heart until you see how they behave once they weild true power. Therefore as far as the executive position of the nation goes we really have no idea who Raila really is as he only had nusu mkate to munch on. We do however have indicators on how effective he would be as an executive judging from the actions of his ministers. The records reflect his ministers were some of the most ineffective in the Grand Coalition Government. Ministry of Lands & Ministry of Immigration come to mind. Heck the minister of immigration was so ineffective he couldn't even ensure "his people" at Nyalgunga had national ID's rolled out to them effeciently so that they could counter similar registration processes that were ongoing (on his watch!) in Central Province! Raila's silence when his ministers/assistant ministers, at least those who kowtowed to him, were caught with their hands in the cookie jar. This occurred at a wing of the Health Ministry under Anyang Nyon'go & with "The Glory" at the NHC housing allocation scam saga.
Where Raila has weilded actual power, such as at ODM, we get to see the stuff he is really made of. As Dida said, what does it say of a man who went in with a powerful national alliance called the Pentagon & found himself alone with nothing but a two bit chameleon aka water melon, Kaloozer as a political ally? He has been a despot where it matters, to the extent that he lost all his allies to Jubilee, save for Mudavadi who has since crawled over to Uhuru's stable in a post election arrangement.
All the talk of Raila being a democratic "reformer" is pure marlakey in my view. History records that his first grab for power was a violent exercise back in '82 which resulted in the deaths of thousands of Kenyans & the disbanding of the airforce. Like a chokora grabbing for an ice-cream cone, his lust for power failed & he found himself incarcerated. It is at this time that Raila crossed paths with intellectuals (including our very own admin) & this is when it dawned on him that he should garb his quest for power in a more socially acceptable manner. Out went the violent power grab angle & in came all the democratic good governance blah blah that has been his message ever since. Having a lot of time behind bars, & a lot of learned friends, he was a good student. He even had "make-over" as out went his Castro-like beard & in came the clean cut Agwambo we see today, although he has gone overboard by getting rid of a distinguished natural greying that would make him look the "elder statesman" he actually is. Sadly a leopard can never change its spots, so when things got hot in '07, good old Raila showed his true colours yet again by attempting to make KE ungovernable & PEV ensued.
In closing, have any of the reformists ever really acquitted themselves once they held any office. Look at Kiraitu "Mbas" Murungi, Mutava Musyimi, Kivutha Kibwana, the list goes on & on. Give any of these reformers any office & they soon become part of the establishment. Those who do not go on to illegally enrich themselves become comfortable enough to at least let their colleagues enjoy the fruits of the gravy train without so much as a whimper from them.
The long & the short of it therefore is, you cannot judge a man who is operating from a position of weakness. Being a leader of the opposition & a junior partner in the GCG is just that....Raila operating from a position of weakness. Just like a guy who is courting a buxom lass, he will only show his good side. Judge him when he was fully won the prize. That is when you will know who Agwambo really is.....
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Post by sindbad on Mar 21, 2013 18:52:34 GMT 3
To judge the primary motive that drives a mans actions is tricky and is the almighty’s preserve. However we could guess wrongly or rightly what we percieve drives a man to some action hence the strong division in his case.
To most of the rank and file sometimes motive is not the most critical, for if a hungry man is given food when they need it, do they really care why it was offered.
Raila has in the past pushed for democratic and governance changes and irrespective of the real motive behind his actions, these changes were needed. It is very rare for men to act from pure motives in any arena of life, and this is not limited to Agwambo. Whether from a primary or secondary motivation, Raila has always desired to see democratic principles, freedom etc as a part of the governance process of this nation Kenya.
My greatest concern is not even Raila, but the Kenyan, who does not really want change badly enough to be driven by this desire to question the kind of leadership we need. Until this happens, we will be perenially falling back to our tribal enclaves driven by the blind selfishness that is self decieved to think benefit can only be derived from one of your own being in power.
In Raila the rest of Kenyans saw a leader who was more responsive to their collective desires (one who liked to please the masses), this drew them to him despite his faults.
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Post by abdulmote on Mar 21, 2013 19:24:29 GMT 3
Ethnicity of numbers is a means almost all of the current crop of politicians are prepared to invoke for the sake of acquiring power, accumulate wealth and ultimately feed their living illusions. Unfortunately in the absence of concrete and solid ideology based on issues, true commitment not only in words but also in actions, and unwavering dedication towards realising such as the ultimate goal, there is no motivational choice that can be perceived by ordinary folks, other to join the ethnic line in support of their own.
In Rayila, Kenyans had a good opportunity of turning around such a trend but his lack of genuineness in his offered ideals is what had let 'us' down. Rayila is the son of Jaramogi, someone who had the opportunity of time and circumstances to have 'a bite' of pioneering political leadership of this magnificent country. Rayila, ironically and conveniently, had the benefit of the dreaded 'ethnic numbers' behind him, and so the platform of unleashing any ideals from him could have been easier than any other person.
One of my observations I would like to raise, is that Rayila had no other ways of fighting for his own and his community's desire, against the challenge of others, who happened to have already established their positions, politically and materially, except by offering himself as the alternative 'messiah of change'.
In his pursuit, Rayila presented and disguised himself as the warrior of the common man, committed towards democratic ideals and accountability, a leader who sought nothing for himself but equality for all, and lastly, only through him were Kenyans to have an opportunity of correcting the miseries, sufferings and deprivations, as already created by the status quoits!
But with an equal hand and effort, Rayila demonstrated to the masses that he can, after all, compromise on those ideals every one amongst the populations so desperately yearned for. If we are to look back with the benefit of hindsight, we find that examples are many.
The road towards democracy, equality of wealth distribution, accountability and justice was never going to be easy and indeed can be very long. Much as we would like to believe that Kenyans behave and react with influence based on ethnic instincts and behave like a herd, I also would like to believe that as Kenyans, we do equally and genuinely desire, for the sake of our collective success, every good aspect of life as can be realised through good leadership and equality for all.
But the issue is that Kenyans as comprised in their respective ethnic blocks, they are yet to see any better and genuine alternative, where they can feel comfortable and be able to trust the person who is guiding them and so believe in their security as Kenyans equal to any other!
In seeking to present oneself as the desired alternative, the potential national leader must be able to win that trust across all divides, without living any shred of doubts within the minds of the whole Kenyan population. One must be able to endear themselves and genuinely commit the same to the ideals so desired, without any compromise to the nearest obstacles that may present itself for the sake of the alluring self satisfaction.
Without doubt, this would be a task which should not offer the bearer the lure of immediate winning the end prize. Getting into the State House should not necessarily be the ultimate and immediate goal. The one who is genuine should be prepared to get nothing for their personal gain, but seek to give everything to the masses one presents to fight for!
The question then that follows, who else is there for such a task, after having lost our beloved Rayila?
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Post by abdulmote on Mar 27, 2013 1:16:28 GMT 3
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2013 1:53:37 GMT 3
Abdulit's almost word for word. can you please post the article that they plagiarized from. that should embarass them a bit. how lazy can people get?
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Post by abdulmote on Aug 12, 2017 15:45:02 GMT 3
Revisiting my thoughts 2013
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Post by cheshirecat on Aug 13, 2017 11:14:49 GMT 3
Revisiting my thoughts 2013 Your observations are still very correct. 5 years later, nothing was learnt. The only positive thing from this election is that largely due to NASA's agitation, IEBC has become extra-ordinarily efficient and transparent. Which means that the thing that prevents Raila's team from learning, i.e rigging scapegoat, has been removed and now they can face their loss squarely in the eye and learn from it. ofcourse I hope the first lesson is an understanding of what damage people like kalonzo and amos wako do to their reformist image. Also I hope myths such as Raila is universally popular or jubilee gets its votes only from central and north rift will finally be laid to rest. If they don't scapegoat but instead genuinely seek to learn from this election, they will win in 2022. |
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Post by mugabe on Aug 15, 2017 4:05:25 GMT 3
Revisiting my thoughts 2013 Yes, you were right. |
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Post by OtishOtish on Aug 16, 2017 3:04:07 GMT 3
Revisiting my thoughts 2013 Your observations are still very correct. 5 years later, nothing was learnt. The only positive thing from this election is that largely due to NASA's agitation, IEBC has become extra-ordinarily efficient and transparent. Which means that the thing that prevents Raila's team from learning, i.e rigging scapegoat, has been removed and now they can face their loss squarely in the eye and learn from it. ofcourse I hope the first lesson is an understanding of what damage people like kalonzo and amos wako do to their reformist image. Also I hope myths such as Raila is universally popular or jubilee gets its votes only from central and north rift will finally be laid to rest. If they don't scapegoat but instead genuinely seek to learn from this election, they will win in 2022.That's pretty much where they were back in 2013 and looking to 2017. What's changed? |
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