Raila Threat To Resume Protests Is Tantamount To Putting Cart Before The Horse
The Mt Kenya Times 
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party leader Raila Odinga (left) and President William Ruto.
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- Some days earlier, Dr Ruto and Raila had started on a positive footing. The duo had announced a truce, paving the way for bipartisan talks through parliament.
- So, Raila’s turnaround caught many by surprise and they interpreted the move as ill-advised and designed to dent his image. Baba had called off demonstrations to create room for dialogue.
- A friend of mine told me. The hardliners in Azimio were largely to blame for making him lose consistency and focus.
- They know they will become political orphans if he agrees to support the partisan process. They will not get anything in return and here I’m talking about state jobs.
A few days ago, Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga announced that he will resume the demonstrations soon after the end of Muslim’s Holy Month of Ramadan.
Speaking at Ufungamano House in Nairobi when he launched the countrywide town hall meetings, Raila insisted that the protests will be held alongside the bipartisan meetings.
We have opted to change our mind because the Kenya Kwanza government was not treating our demands with seriousness they deserved, he alleged.
To me, this was tantamount to putting the cart before the horse.
Why? Azimio and Kenya Kwanza had just selected seven members each to represent them in parliamentary driven bipartisan talk.
Noting that this team had not held any meeting, the question is. How did Raila know the coalition’s issues would not be taken seriously?
He should have calmed his supporters and wait for the negotiators to hold the preliminary meetings.
I am sure the first agenda would be developing terms of engagements and ground rules and more importantly listing the issues.
In any negotiations, the spirit of give -and-take takes precedence.
Yes, Raila had a set of demands and this had informed his call for the demonstrations that always turned chaotic, bloody and destructive.
On the other hand, the government was totally opposed to these protests and would outline the issues that informed their position.
As such, the principals of the parties involved are required to drop hardline stances.
If one leader insists that all our demands must be met, this means the talks would start on a wrong footing.
To unlock the impasse, allow the negotiators to discuss and ventilate on all the issues and thereafter build a consensus on those that should be laid on the table.
In doing this, the negotiators will guided by the law and constitution.
Some days earlier, Dr Ruto and Raila had started on a positive footing. The duo had announced a truce, paving the way for bipartisan talks through parliament.
So, Raila’s turnaround caught many by surprise and they interpreted the move as ill-advised and designed to dent his image.
Baba had called off demonstrations to create room for dialogue.
A friend of mine told me. The hardliners in Azimio were largely to blame for making him lose consistency and focus.
They know they will become political orphans if he agrees to support the partisan process. They will not get anything in return and here I’m talking about state jobs.
Raila will benefit alone as it happened after the handshake with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
So, they are less concerned about Raila’s image.
This is thier position. Our selfish interests can only be addressed if we push Raila to demand for a ‘Nusu Mkate’ government and he ‘succeeds’.
Sometimes back, Jubilee SG Jeremiah Kioni almost let the cat out of bag when he stated. Our campaign is hinged on what each one of us would take home at the end of day.
At this juncture, allow me to say this.
After changing the goal posts, Raila is now demanding that the four key issues he had raised must be addressed.
We know the negotiations have not started. So, his call for resumption of protests is premature and ill-advised?
President Ruto has insisted the bipartisan talks will be held within the parameters of the law. Majority of Kenyans have been supporting him.
So, I see a scenerio where many would shun Raila’s demos and this would leave him badly embarrassed and with an egg on his face.
Yes, I have heard some top government officials saying. Three demands raised by Azimio will be from excluded from the talks.
With due respect to Raila, my unsolicited advise to him is. You have your team. So relax and leave this to the negotiators.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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