If this handshake were to break, I predict anarchy. Contrary to popular thinking, the anger of NASA supporters can be reignited easily and swiftly. Many opposition supporters have never trusted this handshake. Therefore, a degree of madness and uncontrolled anger would return, almost automatically.
It took just one man, NASA's Raila Odinga, to shake Uhuru's hand and everything went quiet. If Uhuru were to betray the handshake — because he is the only man with the power to do that — I see a deflated Raila. Of course, Raila could reinvent himself. But supposing he calls it quits, there would be trouble.
Without a captain to control the opposition, especially the youth, a captain to navigate and channel the anger, turmoil would be inevitable. If you're a headmaster, for instance, you need leadership on the students' side to run the school.
Therefore, we must give our all to this handshake because the alternative is ominous. There are torrents of anger in this country. Against the Jubilee administration. Against Uhuru Kenyatta. We need a leader to control that anger. If fury is left unchecked, this country can degenerate into something else. Look at the Central Africa Republic.
When the swearing-in madness was at its peak, when NASA was pushing for product boycotts, do you remember youths wanting to uproot Safaricom masts and destroy everything? That's what I'm talking about.
The handshake brought peace instantaneously. As soon as it happened, so did many other things: peace, business revival, the eventual recognition of Uhuru Kenyatta. All these are at risk.
Some say Raila's reputation and political life will suffer irreparably if the handshake doesn't work. They say he burned bridges and abandoned his comrades.
But Jubilee will also have the problem of restoring trust within its ranks if the handshake fails. Trust will be broken to the point of no return.
Anybody who would celebrate failure of the handshake — thinking it would bring back a united Jubilee and doom the opposition — is dead wrong.
The University don spoke to the Star
