Member of Parliament for Kamukunji Yusuf Hassan believes that there will be unrest in the opposition party if Raila Odinga chooses to support Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as the coalition’s flagbearer.
This comes after Mr. Odinga was reported to have endorsed the Wiper leader as the Azimio la Umoja coalition’s flagbearer in the 2027 General Election.
Mr. Odinga, in Hassan’s opinion, is a colossal figure in the nation’s opposition camp, and handing over the mantle to Kalonzo as soon as possible will put the wiper leader on a precipice.
Raila, according to the legislator, plays a pivotal role in Kenyan politics, and he should be cautious about the decisions he makes between now and the next election cycle, especially since there are concerns that he may hang his political boots.
“If the declaration was right I think it would have damaged the opposition and would it will open up a fight which Kalonzo is not ready for at the moment,” he said speaking on Citizen TV’s Daybreak show on Thursday.
“If it is true that he is thinking of stepping down then it puts the whole opposition in limbo of what it is like to be contending in the next elections without the powerful figure of Raila being behind it.”
He went on to add that not only will the opposition be thrown in limbo but also Mr. Odinga’s party, the Orange Democratic Movement, which he says carries the firebrand’s DNA since its formation.
“I cannot imagine ODM existing in a very strong position in Kenyan politics without Raila. I cannot imagine the opposition without a torchbearer like Raila,” said Hassan.
“Raila is the patriarch of Kenyan politics, he is also the baron of the opposition. So what he says and how he says it carries alot of weight in our country and I think alot of people are saying does this mean that Raila is going to step back from politics.”
Mr. Odinga has, however, dismissed the reports that he endorsed Kalonzo, maintaining that the praise for the Wiper boss should not be interpreted as the party’s position on its 2027 political ambitions, given that the elections are four years away.
He instead stated that he made those utterances in defense of Kalonzo after President William Ruto allegedly tried to divide the coalition by falsely speculating on Kalonzo’s candidacy in 2027.
“He is speaking about Kalonzo Musyoka as if they are equals, he (Musyoka)is far better than him (Ruto),” said Odinga during Siaya senator Oburu Oginga’s birthday celebration in Bondo.
“He wants to divide us with talk about who will run for the presidency, yet we ourselves have not announced anything. We will show him he knows nothing; we will stand with Kalonzo because he is an honest person.”
Odinga, on the other hand, has expressed confidence that President Ruto will have no chance against Kalonzo if they both run in the election.
