When terrorists strike, the last thing they and their ilk want to see is calmness and going about business as usual because doing so deprives their depraved souls the perverted satisfaction that they have terroriSed a nation.
That’s exactly what we should do — mourn the lost ones, help their families and loved ones but carry-on with life as it did not happen.
That’s not to say those charged with the responsibility to keep us safe shouldn’t do more to minimiSe or altogether eliminate these acts of terror. We can go about our normal lives without looking over our shoulders or worried dead in going places knowing the government has in place enough human intelligence and tools to keep us safe as they should notwithstanding the once in awhile these merchants of death manage to succeed in their uncouth and evil deeds.
That being the case, let’s resume where we left off before the Riverside attack and that’s exploring the question should he or should he not be our next President.
The he is not Raila Odinga for there’s a consensus he should be our next president should he choose to vie. Those opposed to his potential presidency have no valid reason.
However, those who think his likely rival were he to vie, is not fit or at best is less qualified to be our next president have several valid reasons for that proposition:
First, if the choice is between the two, meaning Raila and the only likely serious rival—and it may as well end up being the case, then comparing their pros, including things such as leadership skills, competence, sacrifice for country and so on, one’s stack of the pros is so high it makes the other one look the political dwarf he is in comparison. Falling short in measuring up to Raila is therefore the number one reason his likely serious rival falls short in consideration.
Second, strictly on the question of temperament, Baba’s primary challenger, if he decides to vie, has demonstrably made the case he does not have the temperament to be President neither does he have the humility that one holding that office demands. Conversely, Raila has demonstrated over and over again that he not only has the temperament a leader must have, but also shown he has the humility surpassing that of any politician in Kenya. The handshake is but one example of the man’s humility.
Third, put the two men in two corners with their political baggage stacked next to them and visually inspect and you’ll notice one has tonnes of baggage and the other scarcely any. Weighing heavily in one pile will be the challenger’s pile containing allegedly ill-gotten wealth and sacks of dirty money and that by itself may outweigh all other considerations as to whether the man should be rewarded with nation’s presidency and most voters will say a definitive No.
There’s more but this gives the reader a good summary of the road ahead for these two men but, in the end, what one man does or does not do, is ultimately what will determine who sees the inside of State House as our next President.
That man is none other than Uhuru Kenyatta.
There’s no doubt the President is dancing between two delicate situations: On the one hand, he must not appear to be throwing William Ruto under the bus, even though technically speaking, if he does so, he will be doing the right thing. He will be honouring his commitment for the handshake that’s designed to heal the nation and put afoot a new system that cures the political ills of the country.
To be sure, this is a dance the President must have and, if history and the man’s character teaches us anything, it’s that it’s a dance the president is well suited to dance very creatively and very well.
We’re cheering him on in the hopes and expectation when he leaves the stage, one man would have the last laugh and that man won’t be WSR.
Samuel Omwenga is a legal analyst and political commentator in the United States