- Ngilu asked Raila to assemble a leadership team reminiscent of the 2022 National Alliance of Rainbow Coalition (Narc) that swept Kanu out of power in a landslide victory.
- Raila’s declaration of his bid for the top AU job has created jitters in his political bedroom where haggling over the Official Leader of the Opposition post is eminent.
Image: CHARITY NGILU/X
Former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has beseeched Azimio leader Raila Odinga to put the coalition in order before his probable exit from local politics for the African Union Commission chairmanship.
Raila’s declaration of his bid for the top AU job has created jitters in his political bedroom where haggling over the Official Leader of the Opposition post is eminent following the unanimous adoption of the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report a week ago.
The report proposed the creation of the Office of the Official Leader of the Opposition and two deputies and Azimio One Kenya Coalition Party member parties are all eyeing the slots.
The report says the Office should go to the largest party or coalition that garners the second-highest votes in preceding presidential elections.
While speaking on the second day of the Homa Bay Investment Conference, Ngilu implored Raila to give clear directions about his preferred heir as his AU candidature increasingly continues to attract backing from regional leaders.
“Baba, umepangaje? (Baba, how have you planned?),” Ngilu asked Raila to a loud applause and laughter from the crowd.
“You know I’m told to avoid politics here but I don’t think I can avoid politics and I think many of you will not ask, but I have been with Baba for many years in politics,” she added to another rousing applause.
“Kwa hivyo I can ask him, ni lazima atuelezee (So I have to ask him, he must tell us),” Ngilu said while giving the analogy of a father as the leader of the home giving instructions to his family before leaving for a long voyage.
“Kwa hivyo nataka kukuuliza Baba, tupange vizuri so that we know how to take this country forward.”
The former governor asked Raila to assemble a leadership team reminiscent of the 2022 National Alliance of Rainbow Coalition (Narc) that swept Kanu out of power in a landslide victory.
Narc’s presidential candidate the late former President Mwai Kibaki garnered 62 per cent of the vote against Kanu’s candidate former President Uhuru Kenyatta who managed a paltry 31 per cent of the vote.
After the win, the Narc-led government ran into headwinds following friction between the founding parties Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the National Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK).
After the 2005 referendum, LDP members led by Raila were thrown out of government and went on to form the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and became an opposition party.
NARC members loyal to Kibaki founded NARC–Kenya now under Martha Karua’s leadership while the original Narc remained in the hands of Ngilu.
Ngilu and Karua are all members of the Azimio coalition alongside Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and ODM’s Wycliffe Oparanya who deputises Raila with former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.
With the above lineup and 2027 elections beckoning, a push-and-pull scenario cannot be ruled out should Raila exit local politics and Ngilu appears to have taken it upon herself to seek guidance from Raila early enough.
But while speaking at the Homa Bay Investment Conference, Kisii Governor Simba Arati told Raila not to worry as they would take up the mantle and lead the coalition on the straight and the narrow.
Arati said he would lead from the front.
“There’s no vacuum, you will not leave a vacuum,” he said.
“Kalonzo yuko hapo mbele, na sisi tunashikilia pande hii. Lazima tuhakikishe kwamba serikali ambayo inakuja sisi tuko ndani na tumejenga taifa letu kwa ile mipango amabyo umetupea,” Arati said.
(Kalonzo is at the front, and we are holding steady on this other end. We must ensure we are part of the next government and build the country according to the plans you have given us)