Raila's use of Detente as a Political Tool and it's Implications

By Auscar Wambiya

?The Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga's use of political detente as a tool to advance peace in the mid term, plan his future attacks if any and advance the politics of development in the long term is worth studying. The Azimio party leader has successfully decided when to cease hostilities from time to time in a manner that leaves friends and foes alike in unprecedented political waters.

In the heat of the multiparty politics of the early 1990s, we see Raila up the political ante for a while to box the President Moi regime, withdraw just in time for political exile in Norway only to come back and exert pressure of impossible proportions that saw a raft of changes to the then political outlay.

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Then came the 1997 elections and the pressures of the differences around the electoral commission just before the vote. The ruling party gave in and accommodated the demands of the opposition on the composition of the then electoral commission. But with the elections gone and Moi having retained power, Raila surprised friends and foes when he went to bed with Moi and joined KANU, even ascending to the powerful position of KANU secretary general. Was this the end of Raila? Nobody saw how he could come back from the stranglehold of the KANU monolith. Even this detente did not last. President Moi had other ideas on his succession and Raila renewed hostilities immediately the betrayal was apparent.

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We all remember how Raila tried to get his cordial relationship with President Kibaki going until the 2005 constitution referendum broke the camel's back. The unfortunate consequences of the post 2007 elections due to the frayed relations between the two leaders is public knowledge. But another detente j occured, with Raila's blessings which completely changed our political and economic outlay significantly. It is this detente that gave us the all encompassing 2010 Constitution, lauded in Africa and world over as the most progressive constitution.

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Another detente that took everyone by surprise was the handshake of 2017 between Raila ju and President Uhuru Kenyatta. Applauded and vilified in equal measure, the handshake resulted in the Building Bridges Initiative that was quite radical in proposals that would have revolutionized the political and economic landscape in formidable ways. But the courts had other ideas. This 2017 detente brought Raila so close to the house on the hill. But Chebukati said no, based on verified numbers apparently.

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Then there is this unannounced latest political detente. Raila has just given elected leaders in Nyanza region and nationally an open cheque to work with President Ruto. This was not foreseen and everyone expected political resistance. While he is not at the forefront of this detente, your guess is as good as mine. But maybe me and you are wrong. Certain leaders were already even vilifying Raila for opposing systems for oppositions sake. Going from the reception President Ruto is receiving in Nyanza region already, this latest detente by Raila is working, again.

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By implication, Raila's cessation of hostilities from time to time, also known as 'detente' has redefined Kenya's politics, therefore. Apart from disorganizing any form of opposition against his leadership, Raila has used detente to advance his political causes with great good on Kenya's politics. Economic indicators show that there have been great improvements on our development showing as a country whenever there has been a cessation of hostilities between Raila and his opponents. Long live, the politics of detente.

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The writer is a Strategy, Leadership and Development Consultant based in Siaya