Raila Odinga is a blessing for Africa

Kenya’s rejection of the Pan-Africanis may have been God’s plan to ensure he becomes chairperson of the AU Commission

COMMENT | DAK BUOTH RIEK GAAK | On 27 August 2024, former Africa Union High Representative on Infrastructure and Former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga launched his candidature for the chairman of the Africa Union Commission (AUC) in the forthcoming election slated for February 2025.

In support of him, I decided and dedicated ample time to watch and listen to the proceedings and presentations to further propagate his political agenda for our beloved continent. Odinga likened himself to the Cameroonian and Senegalese Indomitable Lions and Lions of Teranga respectively.

In most of the speeches by the presidents and distinguished dignitaries in attendance, the term ‘blessing’ was the keyword. This word was mentioned twice by President Dr. William Ruto and Former President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria. The latter narrated a story in which he stated that his long relationship and friendship with Odinga became a blessing to him and the country of Nigeria. In 1995, he visited the Kenyan town of Kisumu on Odinga’s invitation.

However, upon his return to Nigeria, he was accused and subsequently arrested for planning to topple both Nigerian and Kenyan governments. He said that if he had not been falsely accused and incarcerated, maybe he could have not been elected president of Nigeria.

Soon after Obasanjo mentioned his blessing, President Ruto took to the podium and said he was also accused and tried in the International Criminal Court (ICC) because of his association and support for Raila in 2007. He also stated that he is also blessed for he later became president.

Equally, I would like to be on record by saying that Kenyans’ rejection of Raila Odinga’s Presidency is a blessing in disguise for Africa. Odinga vied for the office of the president five times, in 1997, 2002, 2013, 2017, and 2022. In these clamours and campaigns for the presidency, he has always been denied a chance unfairly.

In any event, Odinga always appears to be the leading candidate among his competitors. However, the electoral commissions and observers would come and say he did not win either by voters’ rejection or rigging. Odinga hardly accepted a democratic defeat for obvious reasons cited therein.

During the launch of his candidature, speaker after speaker praised him not just as a visionary, but a staunch believer and fighter for democracy in Kenya and beyond. This means however that if he was a true Democrat as said by all and sundry, he could have found it easy to accept the outcomes of free and fair elections in Kenya. Despite Raila Odinga’s rejection and rigging by Kenyans, I believe he is not a perennial loser as people think.

Nonetheless, if he was fairly defeated in these five elections, maybe it is God’s plan for Africa because if he had managed to become the President, he could have not gotten the chance to campaign to lead Africa today.

In all my years of studying politics and law in Kenya, I know that Odinga is a selfless and undefeatable champion of democracy and Human Rights. He is a certified Pan-Africanist and a true defender of Africa and Africans and South Sudanese in particular.

I supported Odinga’s presidency not because he has more realistic or relevant ideas for Kenya than others, but because he has a Pan-African vision and passion which surpasses that of his political adversaries.

Therefore, my interest in supporting Odinga’s presidency was pegged on the belief that if he became president of Kenya, he could use that position to speak boldly for Africa like Robert Gabriel Mugabe, who always spoke about Africa at AU and UN before concluding with Zimbabwean affairs.

The third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), once said “One man with courage is a majority.” Other than the fact that Odinga is an undisputed and visionary Pan-Africanist who belongs to the school of African founding fathers like Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, Dr. Kwame Nkruma, Jomo Kenyatta and Haile Selassie. I think he is a courageous and consistent leader of our times. Odinga is a person who believes in the principle that persistence breaks resistance.

I fondly remember when he was still in office as prime minister in 2010-2011, he would come in broad daylight to rally people against those who were seen violating the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which brought South Sudan independence to fruition on 9 July 2011.

In August 2010, Raila stood firm against the fugitive and former President Omar Bashir’s visit to Kenya, during the promulgation of Kenya Constitution 2010 because the latter was incriminated and indicted by ICC following his despicable human rights records in Sudan’s Darfur region. This particular example conveys a clear message to Africa that if Odinga succeeds and ascends to AUC Chairperson in 2025, the forty-five days of tyrants and terrible human rights violators shall be numbered.

Odinga is a candidate of two countries. He should not be a candidate for Kenya alone. He is supposed to be a candidate for South Sudan because he belongs to these two countries by right and choice. In the book titled ‘Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenyan Politics,’ the author Badejo wrote that when Odinga was a university Student in the former East Germany, he was an active member of the Sudanese Students’ Association in East Germany.

During the launch, I was keenly listening to how Kenyan leaders were struggling in their speeches, justifying to Africa that they admired Odinga’s leadership and that he was a visionary leader yet they rejected him in five consecutive presidential elections.

In 2022, former President Uhuru Kenyatta declared his support for Odinga against incumbent President Ruto. However, when election results were released, Odinga came second despite being the darling of the deep state and system that most Kenyans Kenyans believe is the decider of presidential winners.

In this regard, Raila Amolo Odinga is the proverbial prophet who is treated with honour everywhere in Africa except in Kenya. Because of the foregoing, I doubt and refuse to believe that Kenya is going to vote for Odinga comes February 2025.

The only country I know will vote for Raila Odinga 100 percent is South Sudan. Believe it or not, if Odinga is going to get one vote, god forbid, that single vote will be attributed to President Salva Kiir. Over the years, I doubted the sincerity of our President, but in Odinga’s case, I am sure and confident that President Kiir will vote for him.

Finally, I fully declare my unwavering support for Odinga’s candidature. I therefore call on African leaders not to reject Odinga again because he has what it takes to lead Africa to the promised land of equal opportunities and the promised land free of dictatorship and neo-colonialism. Odinga will not lose again. Odinga will make Africa great again.

*****

Dak Buoth Riek Gaak is the National Chairperson of Legal and Constitutional Affairs of South Sudan People’s Movement/Army