Raila reincarnate: Winnie joins fray for Odinga political empire

She has all the markings of a political star. A brave political operative attempting to write her own political story. One that will either determine the future of the Odinga dynasty or signal its demise if no one else can recreate the fire that Raila Odinga built.

For a start, Raila’s daughter, Winnie Odinga, is ticking the appropriate boxes. She is brave, eloquent, straight-talking, bold, charismatic, and a student of her father’s school of politics that dominated the country’s political scene for three decades.

Yesterday, as delegates and party stalwarts who had streamed to Mombasa to celebrate the party’s 20th anniversary left the Coastal city amid a cloud of uncertainty regarding the party’s future, one thing was clear: Raila’s youngest daughter has arrived and is a star to watch in the succession race.

She was on the lips of many party members, political pundits, and on social media, albeit with pockets of criticism, signalling the tough task that awaits her if she is to step into her father’s behemoth shoes.

She had moved crowds, challenged the status quo, and delivered hard-hitting speeches akin to what her young father did in 1994 at the height of the succession scramble in Ford Kenya after the death of her grandfather, Jaramogi Oginga.

Father’s torch

According to communication consultant Barrack Muluka, Winnie has unveiled herself with the fiery focus of her late father when he was not doing handshakes. 

“In addition to her family’s traditional progressive ideological orientation, she is emerging with the eloquent poise that eluded both her father, Raila, and grandfather, Jaramogi,” says Muluka.

Just like her father, who bet on the masses to build support, Winnie appears to be angling for a similar path after she challenged the ODM fraternity to decide who will carry her father’s torch.

The challenge, however, pushes her uncle Oburu Oginga, who has been handed the torch to lead Raila’s flock as the party leader of ODM into a tight spot. The battles are already too many for Oburu in ODM, and the entry of Winnie as a potential family-friendly fire further complicates the storm in the Orange party.

In her speech, Winnie openly questioned whether those who had been allowed to implement the agreement with President William Ruto’s UDA are capable of implementing it.

“When it came to the matter of broad-based government, the people of ODM entrusted one person with the management of that relationship. That person was Baba Raila Amollo Odinga. That relationship is complicated, and therefore we are looking and wondering, those taking it upon themselves to manage it now-are they really capable of managing that relationship?” posed Winnie.

Aging uncle

She said that there is a need to convene a National Delegates Conference so that the people can pick their leader.

Some party insiders argue she is right to stake her own claim and rally support for the future of the party.

His uncle, though an experienced politician, is aging at 82 and may not have the strength to move around to unite the party that is battling several fires.

During Raila’s illustrious political career, Winnie was among the silent kingmakers who made the political vehicle that Raila built to tick seamlessly. She was part of Raila’s security network and was at the epicenter of power, weaving through her own influence through frequent media talk shows.

But her political journey or dreams to succeed her father is not going to be a bed of roses. Just like her father, who blossomed among titans to unite and expand the opposition base, Winnie is facing similar problems.

Inside ODM, a war is simmering amid a ‘Tower of Babel’ moment for troops that appear to be pulling in opposite directions.

The Standard has established that the cracks in ideology have already created three alignments and possible centres of power, threatening the future of an empire that has been a force to reckon with in the country for two decades.

One of the camps is pushing for a continuation of the political deal with President Ruto under the broad-based government arrangement. Among those singing this praise are Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho (Blue Economy), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), John Mbadi (Treasury), ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga, alongside several MPs.

On the other hand, a group that believes there is an attempt to auction the party and leave it at the mercy of President Ruto is also steadfast in their push to strengthen the party and have vowed to walk the talk in securing its future.

The group includes Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, the party’s Secretary General Edwin Sifuna and Raila’s sister Ruth Odinga.

Winnie appears to have thrust herself into a similar ideology after an eventful ODM at 20 celebrations in Mombasa that became a major turning point in Raila’s succession race.

Just like her father, who was not afraid to challenge even his own father Jaramogi, Winnie unleashed her political claws, ready to pounce on the huge challenge that awaits.

Young, energetic, and politically astute after learning from her father’s feet and oozing almost a similar courage that pushed his father from a forest of chaos in Ford Kenya to become a heavyweight, Winnie has joined the fray in the fight to secure Raila’s legacy.

During the burial of her father last month, Winnie made her intentions clear. She is exploring a return home to serve an empire that her father built and served with grit.

This perhaps explains the reason she questioned the people involved in the implementation of the broad-based agreement as well as an alleged attempt to sell the party. 

Some party insiders, however, believe she is a non-starter and that her blood relations with Raila do not guarantee her a slot in the succession. They argue she is not a leader within the party’s ranks and that the party’s structures clearly outline the succession formula.

Time and age

For a start, the party has settled on Oburu to steer the party as its leader. However, it remains to be seen if Oburu still has the mettle to calm the storm that is brewing in ODM where sibling rivalries and a supremacy contest are threatening its existence.

Winnie, however, is on the right track. Some observers believe her time has come, and how she handles the transition will determine whether the stars have aligned in her favour.

They believe Raila’s spirit lives through her. She is sharp, straight-talking talking brave, and a quiet political operative who accompanied her father to some of the country’s threatening protests and politically influential moments.

Dr Charles Nyambuga says Winnie Odinga is certainly a rising star in the ODM stable. “She has time and age on her side,” Dr Nyambuga says.

He foresees a spirited battle in the ODM camp like ‘that which was in FORD Kenya’.

“Oburu is like a caretaker leader who has just postponed the inevitable,” Nyambuga says.

He thinks Mombasa provided lots of fireworks as was manifest in Winnie, Babu, and Joho’s speeches.

Following her declaration and bold claim that some senior party officials were plotting to auction their party, her statement attracted mixed reactions, with some ODM insiders telling her off while others praised her bravery.

Own identity

Constitutional Lawyer Clifford Obiero opines that it is not possible to inherit a politician’s support base.

“Raila’s following was built through personal effort, sacrifice, and years of principled struggle, not privilege,” Obiero says.

He says anyone who wishes to be associated with Raila’s legacy must embrace the same commitment and pursue the cause independently, not by claiming proximity or entitlement.

Uriri MP Mark Nyamita says this is a new territory for ODM and was completely unforeseen. According to the legislator, if the party manages to navigate the divergent opinions, it will emerge stronger.

Rongo MP Paul Abuor says Winnie has qualities that make her stand out. “She is bold and outspoken, which appeals to youth and also among the digital-savvy, a space where traditional politicians struggle,” Abuor says.

He thinks she can inherit parts of Raila’s base, but must build her own political identity and experience.

The legislator believes she is definitely someone to watch, but her future depends on how she plays the next few years.

“She carries the Odinga name, which still commands emotional power in Nyanza and other regions of the country,” he says.

Additional reporting by Anne Atieno