Demonstrations, confrontations, firings, handshakes! Welcome to a new season of betrayal in Kenya. Young people can no longer trust their parents, political godfathers are selling out their protégés and successors, and the lines that separate political friends and enemies are so blurred that it is impossible to tell who is who.
The ensuing confusion and chaos on the political landscape is best exemplified by the disillusionment felt by Gen Z, who for months endured an onslaught of tear gas and both live and rubber bullets in the hope of liberating their countries from a political system that has devoured their futures and hopes, leaving them jobless and impoverished.
When President William Ruto finally called for a re-establishment of power and rejected the much-criticised Finance Bill, the leaderless and shapeless Gen Z celebrated a rare victory. At last, they had won, or so they thought. But they were wrong.
On July 9, embattled President William Ruto and his arch rival, President Raila Odinga, emerged from the steps of the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, promising for the first time a national dialogue and the formation of a broad-based government.
Some alarmed skeptics warned Raila not to betray the youth, arguing that the issues that had driven them to the streets did not require dialogue, a fight against corruption or the firing of incompetent ministers. The Gen Z protesters who had fallen in the streets while waving flags and singing freedom songs had yet to be buried.
“Raila is not speaking for us. His deal with the government is not for us but for his personal gain,” one X user wrote.
Dialog Keys
Raila’s son, Raila Odinga Jr, also joined the online fray, distancing himself from his father’s opinion by saying: “Everyone is different! Even people with the same name.”
On July 9, Raila emerged from the KICC with the president after agreeing to hold a dialogue to discuss the crisis facing the country, saying: “I am happy that the talks have taken place and we have agreed that dialogue is the way out of the crisis that our country is currently facing.”
Minutes after the public announcement, Kenyans online, mainly young people, many of whom reject representation through political quotas, fiercely questioned in what capacity Raila was taking part in the talks.
But their frustration and feelings of betrayal were aptly captured by Professor Kivta Kibwana, a veteran of street protests, law lecturer and activist who has been fighting against Kanu’s outrages for a decade.
He lashed out at X, saying: “Raila, you are no longer @RailaOdinga BABA. GENZEE-MILLENNIAL MOVEMENT is now the official opposition. You are now in the 4th Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru, Ruto handshake party. Always hiding in plain sight. May the blood and tears of the youth haunt you for the rest of your life.”
In another tweet, Kibwana wrote: “Why does AZIMIO think he can solve the issues raised by Gen Z by negotiating with government? It is Gen Z and the rest of Kenyans who are suffering. The political class cancelled MAU MAU in the 50s and NCEC in the 1990s. Gen Z movement is the only hope for peaceful change.”
Despite the warnings of Kibwana and other sceptics, Raila struck a secret deal with President Ruto and on July 24, former ODM chairman John Mbadi, former deputy party leaders Wycliffe Oparanyah and Hassan Joho, and National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandai were appointed to key cabinet positions.
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Vintage Raila explained that the deal was personally motivated and denied that there was any agreement between his party and the Kenya Kwanza administration, but was quick to wish both parties well, even as he maintained that he remains the head of the Azimio La Umoha coalition that is supposed to keep Ruto in check.
But Azimio and his co-leaders felt betrayed when a press conference called to disassociate the coalition from ODM’s decision was interrupted by violent thugs who invaded the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation and chased away Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka before he could read out the statement.
Kalonzo and his colleagues are still battling the party to stop ODM, which has 86 members in parliament, from chairing oversight committees such as the opposition-only Public Investment Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. ODM claims that cabinet appointees have resigned and are no longer party members.
“The incorporation of opposition leaders into government is a betrayal of Kenyans, especially Gen Z and millennials, who have paid the greatest sacrifice and that is why we oppose such proposals,” Kalonzo said.
“Not only Mr Azimio but all Kenyans feel betrayed by a so-called broad-based government that has shown poor political manners by negotiating with the opposition in its own self-preservation strategy,” Jubilee Party secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni said.
And while Gen Z is ready to embrace the Ruto-Raila deal, the victims of the coalition are gnashing their teeth and cursing the deal that took bread from their hands.
Some of the Mount Kenya leaders, led by former civil servant Moses Kuria, a hardline leader who made a name for himself by attacking Raila, especially after his handshake deal with former President Uhuru Kenyatta, were kicked out of cabinet to make room for Raila’s allies.
In the last elections, Mt Kenya was a battleground where anyone associated with the opposition leader was treated like an outcast and railaphobia spread like wildfire. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta was briefly vilified after shaking hands. Gachagua’s popularity grew due to his skill in dismantling Uhuru and his plans.
Gachagua is now on the run and lives in daily fear of being impeached by the party, which has been bolstered by the influx of many former ODM lawmakers into the government.
The broad-based government, with what may have been perceived feelings of betrayal, usurped the position of former Treasury Secretary, Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, given to Mr Mbadi.
Elsewhere, the political future of former CS Kuria is now uncertain. Candidate MP Sabina Chege, who betrayed Uhuru and sided with the government, is once again on the wrong side of the ruling party, as is East African Legislative Assembly member Kanini Kega, who was backed by Kenya Kwanza to become secretary-general of the Jubilee Party and boost Ruto’s popularity in Parliament.
Unfair Treatment
In eastern Kenya, leaders who complained of betrayal included former Machakos senator Johnston Muthama, who founded the ruling UDA party and used his influence to select Penina Malonza as tourism secretary, who was then ousted to make way for a broad-based government.
In June, Muthama slammed President Ruto, saying Kenya’s Kwanza government had wronged the Kamba people despite playing a key role in the 2022 general elections.
Ruto’s allies from Raila’s strongholds of Coast, Nyanza and Western provinces had gained the president’s ear and ministerial posts by attacking the former premier during the elections.
Some former cabinet members, such as Ababu Namwamba (Youth Party) and Eliud Owalo (ICT), who went against the trend and supported Ruto, have now been removed from cabinet.
Interior Secretary Raymond Omollo and other Nyanza leaders who opposed Raila and benefited from the Ruto administration are only hoping to remain accepted in government as the Ruto administration may be consulting Raila on who to appoint from their region.
The ODM rebels who abandoned Raila in favour of the Ruto government “for development” in their own constituencies, after benefiting from Raila’s influence beyond their own constituencies, are now able to fend for themselves and their services of networking for the government to penetrate into their areas are no longer needed.
“The leaders may feel betrayed by the president, who tried to oust them from ODM because they agreed to work with the government, but then brought Raila into power. The very same government may back Raila to oust them from their constituencies,” said Dr Charles Nganga, an analyst at Jomo Kenyatta University’s School of Agriculture and Technology.
