#RAILA REGROUPS!

#RAILA REGROUPS #CORD TROOPS AND HISTORY OF #ODINGA VS #KENYATTA RIVALRY REPEATS ITSELF: Raila Odinga's retreat to the Coast with Cord Governors and Senators comes on the backdrop of International pressure from the #US and the #EU for Uhuru's regime to honour "international obligations" - a diplomatic term telling President Uhuru to fully cooperate with the #ICC. Raila has already criticised the #Jubilee government for attempting to "climb a tree from the top", in reference to the missplaced priority of purchasing laptops for pupils while teachers starve!The re-organization within ODM is also in the offing with an overhaul expected to give the party new officials, especially the Executive Director, Chairman and Secretary General. Devolution, according to Raila; has been set up for failure due to meagre allocation of funds by the Central government. However, Governors are already lavishly budgeting the little funds provided to satisfy luxury lifestyles! Raila must reprimand them. What stands out though is the now intense rivalry brewing between Uhuru and Raila; and it starkly reminds Kenyans of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga versus the late Jomo Kenyatta rivalry. Throughout the 1980s, international criticism of KANU's human rights record grew and Odinga remained vocal in calling for democracy. In 1991, Odinga founded the National Democratic Party, but the government refused to recognize it and briefly jailed Odinga. However, international protests were effective and later that year Odinga and five other opposition leaders formed the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), the nucleus of a pro-democracy movement. When other nations cut off aid, KANU was forced to allow opposition activity.But FORD split in 1992, and a third leader formed another party. The splits allowed Moi to win the presidency in the December 1992 elections with about 35 percent of the vote; Odinga, 81 years old, finished fourth. In 1993, Odinga's reputation suffered when he admitted taking a campaign contribution from a bank accused of bribing government officials. In the months before his death in January 1994, Odinga tried to reconcile his branch of FORD with KANU, but without success. President Moi said at Odinga's death that "Kenya has lost a great son, a nationalist, and a patriotic citizen." In truth, it had lost its strongest opposition leader. Kenya hopes though that history will not repeat itself as a tragedy this time round: Kenyatta was heckled as he opened a hospital in Kisumu and three days later, Jaramogi’s KPU was banned. Saturday Nation looks back at that pivotal moment in history One Saturday exactly 40 years ago stands out as a pivotal moment in Kenya’s political history. On October 25, 1969, President Jomo Kenyatta travelled to Kisumu to officially open the “Russian Hospital” (New Nyanza General Hospital), a pet project of his fierce rival, opposition leader Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. The President and Kenya People’s Union leader exchanged harsh words, a scuffle broke out and as the hostile crowd advanced on the dais, presidential security personnel fired into the crowd, leaving more than 10 people dead as the visitors’ motorcade sped away. Three days later, the KPU was banned and Kenya became a de facto one-party state. With a vibrant democracy in the era of a new constitution, it is hoped that Raila's comeback should unite rather than divide Kenyans. However, this will much depend on how the #Jubilee coalition handles the one and only Enigma in Kenyan Politics.