Achilles was the bravest, most handsome and greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War.
As a child, he was dipped in the waters of the River Styx, by which means he became invulnerable, except for the part of his heel by which his mother held him.
Though Achilles went on to win many wars, he was killed by Paris who was considered to be a coward but who knew his weakness. An Achilles' heel is thus defined as a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to downfall.
This Saturday, Azimio is scheduled to have its joint NDC with the culmination of the announcement of the presidential candidate. It is assumed that the candidate with the greatest favour among all parties in Azimio is ODM leader Raila Odinga.
This has created some tension among other leading lights such as Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who is still mark timing on the road to joining Azimio. This kind of tension is creating fodder for the Kenya Kwanza team, which appears more organised in its quest despite recent comments by Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.
To date, there have been accusations and counter-accusations between Raila and Kalonzo, starting with the secret pact made in 2017 that Kalonzo decided to make public last week.
While Kalonzo has the right to make demands on what he thinks suits his political journey, it is also important that he buys into the Azimio dream in full. And while Raila enjoys most of the support, it is important that he also gets into above-board negotiations with Kalonzo.
In my opinion, Kalonzo has been undervalued by many politicians who support Raila. Azimio may have all Lower Eastern governors, but Kalonzo is the de-facto supremo of the region.
Raila’s performance in 2013 and 2017 was highly secured by Ukambani votes. Without Kalonzo, these votes would not have been guaranteed. And this guarantee is likely to disappear if Azimio continues to treat Kalonzo like an enemy.
Kalonzo has said his heart is in Azimio and it is therefore important to bring him to the table in good faith. Though some say he always moves from one position to another, Kalonzo has made it clear that he will not work with Kenya Kwanza.
However, what if Kalonzo runs for president? Or supports Ruto and becomes Ruto’s deputy? Azimio’s Achilles heel will be complete if he makes any of these two moves. It is therefore time to bring him on board fully before Saturday.
Kalonzo is a very experienced politician and public servant that Azimio needs on its side. He has served the country for long and therefore, it is important to listen to his demands. Invalidating them would only push him and the Ukambani vote away.
While Azimio is making major inroads across the country, having Kalonzo out of the fold will only give more votes to Kenya Kwanza. No one should underestimate Kalonzo’s value in Azimio and Raila needs to tame his foot soldiers during this time when negotiations are ongoing.
Though Azimio has gained Jubilee through President Uhuru Kenyatta, it has already lost Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula who were in NASA in 2017. It would be naive to underestimate this loss and losing Kalonzo would be another big mistake.
Kalonzo may be willing to support Raila again but this cannot be taken as a sign that he is a weakling. He comes with almost 2 million votes that can give Raila a win before even the polls close.
Kalonzo feels played by Raila over the 2017 pact that he says is not being honoured. What he needs is an assurance that he will not be played yet again if Raila either wins or loses in August.
The man is willing to sit and negotiate and unless those in Azimio think that the 2 million votes do not matter, he should be welcomed with clean hands. Otherwise, the 2 million votes can easily move to Kenya Kwanza and give Ruto a field day.
