This week, I am dealing with a national madness that has to stop. That of harassing our elected leaders and their relatives for absolutely no reason.
Let’s begin with Oburu Oginga, the elder brother of NASA leader Raila Odinga.
In the last few days we have seen this man display great acts of personal sacrifice and magnanimity; foregoing his entitlement; his birth right of representing us at the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha.
We all know that Dr Oginga does not like being nominated to any parliament.
Even in 2013, when he was somehow not chosen by the people of Bondo, he simply had mercy on the country by reluctantly accepting the ODM nomination to Parliament.
VAST EXPERIENCE
He knew we would have missed out on his great parliamentary skills. And we would have been all the worse for it.
That is why it is extremely difficult to understand how these residents of Bondo keep rejecting this fine son of the soil.
Don’t they realise this is the eldest son of the father of opposition politics in Kenya? Where were they when Oburu’s father was fighting the white man in fine English?
That is the tragedy that is about to befall us again now that Oburu has opted out of the list of nominees for EALA.
I humbly request the EAC to petition Kenya to plead with Jaramogi’s son to reconsider his stand and just go to Arusha.
Oburu in all humility has disclosed how his party, ODM, sneaked behind his back to include his name on the EALA list.
And I can understand why the party would find it difficult to leave out Oburu.
As the brother of NASA leader, Raila Odinga, Oburu would be immensely useful in Arusha.
Many ODM supporters know that the ODM leader is a good friend of President Magufuli and having a brother who resides in Arusha would truly help to cement those bonds of friendship.
I really hope that the orange party will still manage to convince Oburu to forget about retirement and go take his place in the hallowed chambers in Arusha.
He is still a young man and he cannot afford to deprive the country of his most valuable contribution.
MISGUIDED COMPLAINTS
I am even more surprised that the haters of NASA are also complaining about the nomination of Kalonzo Musyoka’s son to represent Kenya at the assembly in Arusha.
They argue that somehow the Wiper leader should have chosen some nondescript son of a nobody to sit in the regional assembly. What nonsense! Just what do these people want? Do they not have respect for their leaders?
Are we now saying that a co-principal of a major political coalition in this country is no longer allowed to ask his son to help in nation building?
If we have embraced the leadership of this successful son of Tseikuru for over three decades, why would we be uncomfortable with welcoming his own son onto the scene?
These noisemakers don’t even know whether it is Kalonzo’s son who saw the great representation gap in Arusha and chose to offer his services to his motherland.
Why would we want to discourage noble Kenyans seeking to make a case for Kenya on the international scene?
This is the problem with our country. We elect leaders and don’t allow them the space to enrich our lives with their great acts of wisdom.
That is why we all scream when the president’s relatives get lucrative government tenders or jobs.
As a country, we must accept the biological fact that great leadership always runs in the family.
Just check with most of the NASA principals. If it is true that one of them is the son of chief and the rest have famous fathers too, why should Kalonzo be the odd one out?
We don’t expect him to suddenly make his father famous, but surely he can be a famous father to his son, can’t he?
BANKABLE EXPERIENCE
Further, the NASA running mate has vast relevant experience to pass on to his son.
He has been a Foreign Affairs Minister for years and may even have travelled with his son on his many trips abroad.
He has been a vice president in the country at a time when great leadership was required.
Why would his son not be a great representative of the people in Arusha? In any case, as a nationalist, the Wiper Leader has a duty to ensure the country does not miss out on these important family traits.
He owes it to Kenya to ensure his great leadership skills are passed on to future generations.
And what better way to do it than through his very son who bears his very genes?
As we approach this big election, every leader worth his or her salt must ensure that non-entities do not come from some remote villages and simply perch themselves into public positions.
We must accord the sons and daughters of our great leaders their place of pride in politics.
