Couldnt agree more
written by pndiangui , February 12, 2007

Okong'o Spot on Raila Odinga's behaviour. Who however thinks Raila does these things because he has Kenyans intrests at heart as one writer;Ababu Namwamba would want us to believe? That all this change of party and alliances from one to the other is just a such of a vehicle to bring better governance into the country.
Much as we are commenting on Okongo's piece I would want to hear more on this line of thought of the 'selfless' Odinga.

...
written by emmo opoti , February 12, 2007

Raila certainly gets beaten up a lot for his political record, but he is not in any way unique.

We are as a nation immersed in a culture of the Personality Ethic, we give greater significance to the outward appearance, the trivialities than we do what lies deeper, and then we cry foul every five years claiming we have been short-changed.

Kenyans deserve bad leaders. That they could at all celebrate the election of Kibaki is a big sign on the wall. Our leaders will only change when we do.

What are we trying to fix ?
written by kendirangu , February 13, 2007

Are we treating the cause or the symptoms here?
Agwambo is who he is because Kenyans make him so.
It's paradoxical that men love to hate those who are popular amongst men.

Is the problem the man or is it the perception of his following? I tend to think that human beings love heroes. In uncertain circumstances we seek men who can lead and set direction thus anyone who fits a preconceived stereotype is welcomed and worshiped.

Agwambo is a victim of the fallacious perceptions of his followers.

balanced approach
written by Dave Nyambati , February 13, 2007

I agree with emmo, Raila has his faults - but he is certainly not unique. Someone else would point out Kibaki's faults while willfully blind to Raila's. We will not progress until we judge all our leaders on the same scale - and criticize out ALL their faults, not selective ones.

Ken - Agwambo is not who he is because Kenyans made him so, but because they let him be so! The moment Kenyans stand united against anything is the last time we will see it in our politicians.

Darwinism
written by Bosibori , February 14, 2007

Raila is simply conforming to the mould of survival tactics.A necessary evolution for a shrewd politician, and an adaptation from the last regime.I think he would do Charles Darwin proud."survival of the fittest"

replication
written by Bosibori , February 14, 2007

I agree with Kendirangu that a leader is a reflection is indeed a reflection of his followers.

Kisii elder
written by Amina , February 14, 2007

I thought the Kisii community was not going to elect a boy. Looks, like another alliance was created!

Story by NATION Correspondents
Publication Date: 2/13/2007

Some Kisii elders yesterday backed ODM leader Raila Odinga’s bid for the presidency.

The elders, who met him at Viongozi Centre in Nyamira District, disowned ministers Simeon Nyachae’s and Henry Obwocha’s sentiments that Mr Odinga had no leadership qualities.

“Circumcision has nothing to do with leadership. All that is required for one to be a good leader is intelligence,” said Mrs Consolata Raberla, who spoke on behalf of women leaders, as the crowd applauded.

Another elder, Mr Mainga Nyaberi, said the Kisii community had lived together with the Luos for a long time and could not allow Ford People officials to wage a rift between the two communities.

Mr Odinga, who took his presidential campaign to Kitutu Masaba, West Mugirango and North Mugirango constituencies, was accompanied by MPs Omingo Magara, Ayiecho Olweny, Peter Odoyo, former legislators Joseph Kiangoi and Chris Obure and former Nyanza medical officer of health James Gesami, James Ongwae and Timothy Bosire.

Mr Magara dismissed sentiments by Mr Nyachae that Kisii had its owners.

“The ownership of Kisii does not start and end with one person,” Mr Magara said in reference to Mr Nyachae’s Friday comment that Opposition leaders should stop wasting their time touring the area as the community had its owners.

Mr Kiangoi said elders from all 10 constituencies in Kisii would soon meet and chart the way forward for the community.

The bandwagon

Mr Odinga said: “I wonder why my friend Obwocha has joined the bandwagon of Mr Nyachae in dismissing my presidential candidature since he was very close to my father when he (late father) was in the Opposition.”

He said Mr Obwocha should be the last person to criticise him and the Luo community because of their past relations.

Raila accused President Kibaki of failing to live by the pledges he made before he took over power. The former minister said corruption and unemployment were major impediments to the country’s progress.

He said the Government should invest 60 per cent of the tax in rural areas to attract youths who migrate to urban centres to look for jobs.

rabble rouser
written by kamau , February 17, 2007

Fascinating, sometimes I wonder if we are all crazy. On one hand the tribal chieftains and their followers on the other hand those that oppose all the tribal madness but, are mad themselves for failing to acknowledge that this is the law of the land.

Always amazing me..
written by pndiangui , February 17, 2007

He said the Government should invest 60 per cent of the tax in rural areas to attract youths who migrate to urban centres to look for jobs.

Raila never seizes to amaze me. He knows how much is spent by the exchequer in education, health ,administration etc but he just want to make a populist statment of the 60% use of taxes in Rural areas. Well let me see him do it next year.

re: rabble rouser
written by Edwin Okong\'o , February 19, 2007

I guess we should have left slavery continue because it was the "law of the land."

Fascinating, sometimes I wonder if we are all crazy. On one hand the tribal chieftains and their followers on the other hand those that oppose all the tribal madness but, are mad themselves for failing to acknowledge that this is the law of the land.