Post by KOLONEL BRISK on Jun 7, 2006 6:05:40 GMT 3
Most of the ladies and gentlemen who mourn the passing of the nation's leaders wouldn't know a leader if they saw one. If they had the bad luck to come across a leader, they would find out that he might demand something from them, and this impertinence would put an abrupt and indignant end to their wish for his return. Leadership must be seen as a responsibility rather than a license. The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on. . . . The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully
It is wise to give credit where it is due. It is in this respect that i decided to share this piece of information on Raila.
Raila Amollo Odinga is a Kenyan politician, and was, until November 23, 2005 a Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Roads, Public Works and Housing. He is the son of the first Vice President of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Mr Odinga is commonly called by his first name, 'Raila', due to an interesting coincidence: he was an MP together with his father in the Kenyan parliament for a while, and is currently an MP together with his brother, Oburu Odinga, in the same parliament.
Raila was born in Maseno, Nyanza Province, on January 7th 1945. He attended local schools in his home area until 1961, when he landed a scholarship to study in the then East-Germany. He attended the Herder Institute and later proceeded to Madgeburg College of Advanced Technology(Otto Von Guericke). He graduated in 1970 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. On his return to Kenya, Raila was appointed Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nairobi. In 1970, a specialist in Production Technology, he founded the Applied Engineering Services, a consulting firm specializing in industrial projects. His political career has been anything but smooth. He has had several run-ins with President Moi's administration, making him yet another example of the infamous and repressive detention without trial that most opponents of the KANU government came to experience prior to the introduction of Multi-Party politics in 1991.
After a failed coup attempt by elements of the Kenya Airforce in 1982, Raila Odinga was one of the politicians arrested for their opposition to the regime of then president, Daniel Arap Moi. He was accused of being behind the failed coup and was charged with treason. It is interesting to note that prior to the failed coup, Raila was not in the millitary as one might expect, but a technocrat working as the Deputy Director at the Kenya Bureau of Standards(KEBS). He was placed under house arrest for seven months, and then was detained without trial for six years. Released on February 6 1988, he was arrested again in September, 1988 for his involvement with the Kenya Revolutionary Movement (KRM), an underground organization pressing for multi-party democracy in Kenya, which was then a one-party state. Raila was released on June 12 1989, only to be incarcerated again on July 5 1990, together with Kenneth Matiba, and former Nairobi Mayor Charles Rubia. Raila was released on June 21 1991, and in October, fled the country to Norway alleging government attempts to assassinate him.
At the time of Raila's departure for Norway, the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), a movement formed to agitate for the return of multi-party democracy to Kenya, was newly formed. In February 1992, Raila returned to join FORD, then led by his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. He was elected Vice Chairman of the General Purposes Committee. In the months running up to the 1992 General Elections, FORD split into Ford Kenya, led by Raila's father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and FORD-Asili led by Kenneth Matiba. Raila became Ford-Kenya's Deputy Director of Elections.
When Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died in January 1994, and Michael Wamalwa Kijana succeeded him as FORD-Kenya chairman, Raila challenged him for the party leadership. He lost, and left FORD-Kenya to join the little known National Development Party (NDP). Raila transformed it into a vibrant political party, and led a massive walkout of MPs from FORD-Kenya, mostly from his Luo-Nyanza Province, into his new party. In the 1997 Langata constituency by-elections, occasioned by Raila's change of parties, he won by a large margin. He went on to beat FORD-Kenya in the 1997 General Elections, coming third after Moi and Kibaki respectively. Raila later on changed sides and became a supporter of Moi's government, and even led a merger between his party, NDP, and Moi's KANU party. After this, he served in the Cabinet, as Energy Minister, in the last Moi government. Raila hoped to succeed President Moi who was serving his last term. But in 2002, Raila's chances of becoming Kanu's presidential candidate died when Moi showed signs of leaning towards Uhuru Kenyatta – a son of Kenya's first president. Raila teamed up with Kalonzo Musyoka, George Saitoti, Joseph Kamotho, among others to form the Rainbow Movement in protest. They formed the Rainbow Movement, a cross-tribal coalition to front a common candidate for president in the 2002 elections.
The Rainbow Movement went on to form the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which later teamed up with the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK), a coalition of several other parties, to form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). Raila signed a memorandum of understanding with Mwai Kibaki of NAK assuring him of constitutional changes to make him (Raila) a prime minister in less than 100 days should Narc win the elections. With this MoU, Raila and the Rainbow group rallied Kenyans to support Mwai Kibaki (who at the time was recovering from an accident and was hospitalised close to the end of the campaign period) who went on to win the election.
President Kibaki did not appoint Raila Odinga Prime Minister on assuming office. This led to an open rebellion and a split within the cabinet, which culminated in disagreements over a proposed new constitution for the country. The government-backed constitutional committee submitted a draft constitution that was perceived to weaken the proposed position of prime minister, concentrating power instead in an executive presidency. Raila Odinga opposed this, and when the document was put to a referendum on November 21, 2005, the government side lost to Raila's side by a 57% to 43% margin. Following this, President Kibaki sacked the entire cabinet on November 23, 2005.
In January 2006, Raila Odinga was reported to have told police that he believed his life was in danger, having received assassination threats.
Raila Odinga commands reverential support from a large ethnic base, the Luo of Kenya, as well as from lower class urban youth all over the country. He is seen as a charismatic leader with excellent skills in mobilising grass root support. He is an indefatigable campaigner and during the referendum campaign was able to energise the team opposing the draft constitution through clever campaign tactics such as using the media to gain attention with the public. He has come to be seen as championing the interests of the common Kenyan at a time when corruption and tribalism are said to be rife within Kenya's ruling elite. His followers are now urging him to run for president himself in the upcoming elections in 2007. He has confirmed this and that is where he stands.
Kenya needs a leader with a vision and mission. Leadership is not something one does, but something one is. Leadership is the process of motivating, mobilizing, resourcing, and directing people to passionately and strategically pursue a vision from God that a group jointly embraces. Leadership is not something that is done to people like fixing your teeth. Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become better. Many an institution is very well managed and very poorely led. It may excel in the ability to handle all the routine inputs yet may never ask whether the routine should be done at all....... Leaders are people who do the right things; managers are people who do things right. Kenya needs a leader for we have good managers.
The question we need to ask Is Raila A Manager or a Leader?
Based on this characters lets judge Raila on the following five dimension of leadership.
(1) Calling. Some are called to be leaders others are not.
(2) Comprehension for leadership. Authentic leadership is not about position, power, popularity, or perks; it is about obedience and servanthood, resulting in transformation.
(3) The Competence of leadership. Exhibit mastery of competencies that enables you to move people toward meaningful goals or outcomes. The dominant competencies are well known: vision casting, effective communication, motivating participation, mobilizing people into efficient work units, thinking and planning strategically, accumulating the resources required, evaluating results and fine-tuning the process, handling conflict, reproducing and training leaders, delegating tasks to skilled colleagues.
(4) Character in Leadership. You must posses the type of character that moves people to trust you to take them places- spiritual, emotional, relational, and interllectual- that they otherwise would not go.
(5) The Consequence of Leadership. Must take full responsibility for the consequence of your leadership. Leaders produce results. Effective leaders produce desirable results in response based upon intentional and strategic efforts to bring those outcomes to fruition.
Please i encourage you all to Judge Raila on this and we could do the same to the other Politician. Kenyans must recover confidence, must think of politics as the solvent between thought and action.
Yes we need
A LEADER AND NOT A MANAGER.
It is wise to give credit where it is due. It is in this respect that i decided to share this piece of information on Raila.
Raila Amollo Odinga is a Kenyan politician, and was, until November 23, 2005 a Cabinet Minister in the Ministry of Roads, Public Works and Housing. He is the son of the first Vice President of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Mr Odinga is commonly called by his first name, 'Raila', due to an interesting coincidence: he was an MP together with his father in the Kenyan parliament for a while, and is currently an MP together with his brother, Oburu Odinga, in the same parliament.
Raila was born in Maseno, Nyanza Province, on January 7th 1945. He attended local schools in his home area until 1961, when he landed a scholarship to study in the then East-Germany. He attended the Herder Institute and later proceeded to Madgeburg College of Advanced Technology(Otto Von Guericke). He graduated in 1970 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. On his return to Kenya, Raila was appointed Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nairobi. In 1970, a specialist in Production Technology, he founded the Applied Engineering Services, a consulting firm specializing in industrial projects. His political career has been anything but smooth. He has had several run-ins with President Moi's administration, making him yet another example of the infamous and repressive detention without trial that most opponents of the KANU government came to experience prior to the introduction of Multi-Party politics in 1991.
After a failed coup attempt by elements of the Kenya Airforce in 1982, Raila Odinga was one of the politicians arrested for their opposition to the regime of then president, Daniel Arap Moi. He was accused of being behind the failed coup and was charged with treason. It is interesting to note that prior to the failed coup, Raila was not in the millitary as one might expect, but a technocrat working as the Deputy Director at the Kenya Bureau of Standards(KEBS). He was placed under house arrest for seven months, and then was detained without trial for six years. Released on February 6 1988, he was arrested again in September, 1988 for his involvement with the Kenya Revolutionary Movement (KRM), an underground organization pressing for multi-party democracy in Kenya, which was then a one-party state. Raila was released on June 12 1989, only to be incarcerated again on July 5 1990, together with Kenneth Matiba, and former Nairobi Mayor Charles Rubia. Raila was released on June 21 1991, and in October, fled the country to Norway alleging government attempts to assassinate him.
At the time of Raila's departure for Norway, the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), a movement formed to agitate for the return of multi-party democracy to Kenya, was newly formed. In February 1992, Raila returned to join FORD, then led by his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. He was elected Vice Chairman of the General Purposes Committee. In the months running up to the 1992 General Elections, FORD split into Ford Kenya, led by Raila's father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and FORD-Asili led by Kenneth Matiba. Raila became Ford-Kenya's Deputy Director of Elections.
When Jaramogi Oginga Odinga died in January 1994, and Michael Wamalwa Kijana succeeded him as FORD-Kenya chairman, Raila challenged him for the party leadership. He lost, and left FORD-Kenya to join the little known National Development Party (NDP). Raila transformed it into a vibrant political party, and led a massive walkout of MPs from FORD-Kenya, mostly from his Luo-Nyanza Province, into his new party. In the 1997 Langata constituency by-elections, occasioned by Raila's change of parties, he won by a large margin. He went on to beat FORD-Kenya in the 1997 General Elections, coming third after Moi and Kibaki respectively. Raila later on changed sides and became a supporter of Moi's government, and even led a merger between his party, NDP, and Moi's KANU party. After this, he served in the Cabinet, as Energy Minister, in the last Moi government. Raila hoped to succeed President Moi who was serving his last term. But in 2002, Raila's chances of becoming Kanu's presidential candidate died when Moi showed signs of leaning towards Uhuru Kenyatta – a son of Kenya's first president. Raila teamed up with Kalonzo Musyoka, George Saitoti, Joseph Kamotho, among others to form the Rainbow Movement in protest. They formed the Rainbow Movement, a cross-tribal coalition to front a common candidate for president in the 2002 elections.
The Rainbow Movement went on to form the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which later teamed up with the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK), a coalition of several other parties, to form the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). Raila signed a memorandum of understanding with Mwai Kibaki of NAK assuring him of constitutional changes to make him (Raila) a prime minister in less than 100 days should Narc win the elections. With this MoU, Raila and the Rainbow group rallied Kenyans to support Mwai Kibaki (who at the time was recovering from an accident and was hospitalised close to the end of the campaign period) who went on to win the election.
President Kibaki did not appoint Raila Odinga Prime Minister on assuming office. This led to an open rebellion and a split within the cabinet, which culminated in disagreements over a proposed new constitution for the country. The government-backed constitutional committee submitted a draft constitution that was perceived to weaken the proposed position of prime minister, concentrating power instead in an executive presidency. Raila Odinga opposed this, and when the document was put to a referendum on November 21, 2005, the government side lost to Raila's side by a 57% to 43% margin. Following this, President Kibaki sacked the entire cabinet on November 23, 2005.
In January 2006, Raila Odinga was reported to have told police that he believed his life was in danger, having received assassination threats.
Raila Odinga commands reverential support from a large ethnic base, the Luo of Kenya, as well as from lower class urban youth all over the country. He is seen as a charismatic leader with excellent skills in mobilising grass root support. He is an indefatigable campaigner and during the referendum campaign was able to energise the team opposing the draft constitution through clever campaign tactics such as using the media to gain attention with the public. He has come to be seen as championing the interests of the common Kenyan at a time when corruption and tribalism are said to be rife within Kenya's ruling elite. His followers are now urging him to run for president himself in the upcoming elections in 2007. He has confirmed this and that is where he stands.
Kenya needs a leader with a vision and mission. Leadership is not something one does, but something one is. Leadership is the process of motivating, mobilizing, resourcing, and directing people to passionately and strategically pursue a vision from God that a group jointly embraces. Leadership is not something that is done to people like fixing your teeth. Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become better. Many an institution is very well managed and very poorely led. It may excel in the ability to handle all the routine inputs yet may never ask whether the routine should be done at all....... Leaders are people who do the right things; managers are people who do things right. Kenya needs a leader for we have good managers.
The question we need to ask Is Raila A Manager or a Leader?
Based on this characters lets judge Raila on the following five dimension of leadership.
(1) Calling. Some are called to be leaders others are not.
(2) Comprehension for leadership. Authentic leadership is not about position, power, popularity, or perks; it is about obedience and servanthood, resulting in transformation.
(3) The Competence of leadership. Exhibit mastery of competencies that enables you to move people toward meaningful goals or outcomes. The dominant competencies are well known: vision casting, effective communication, motivating participation, mobilizing people into efficient work units, thinking and planning strategically, accumulating the resources required, evaluating results and fine-tuning the process, handling conflict, reproducing and training leaders, delegating tasks to skilled colleagues.
(4) Character in Leadership. You must posses the type of character that moves people to trust you to take them places- spiritual, emotional, relational, and interllectual- that they otherwise would not go.
(5) The Consequence of Leadership. Must take full responsibility for the consequence of your leadership. Leaders produce results. Effective leaders produce desirable results in response based upon intentional and strategic efforts to bring those outcomes to fruition.
Please i encourage you all to Judge Raila on this and we could do the same to the other Politician. Kenyans must recover confidence, must think of politics as the solvent between thought and action.
Yes we need
A LEADER AND NOT A MANAGER.
