At 12.30pm Sunday, the electoral commission cleared Raila Odinga, the Opposition presidential flag bearer, for his fourth bid for the presidency.
Mr Odinga’s day started with prayers at his Karen home in the company of his wife, Ida, close family members, and the wider team of NASA, who all beamed with confidence.
His answer to the question how he felt on another of his big days in the unpredictable turbulence of politics, Raila declared that he was more confident than ever before and that the future was bright.
On the day he was declared a presidential candidate, Raila announced that this was his time to ascend to State House, apparently alive to the speculation that at 72 years and also given a deal with his political partners, the August election could be his last bid for the land’s highest office.
He summed his optimism on a NASA win with only four words that sent his supporters into ecstatic song and dance: “This is the time!”
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“I am more confident now than ever before. We as the NASA family have prepared for this and we are going for victory in August,” Raila told the media at his residence in Karen a few minutes before he left to present his papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
His wife, Ida, was equally upbeat saying: “I am happy about today. It is a significant day in the lives of Kenyans and also in our lives as a family. It has never been brighter than it is today. This is the time.”
With the IEBC clearance, destiny now beckons for the 72-year-old son of former Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. His three previous attempts have ended either in defeat or controversy.
Dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and blue tie, the Opposition candidate arrived at the KICC and exchanged pleasantries with IEBC commissioners before handing in his nomination documents.
He once again declared that the Opposition would not accept the results of a rigged poll and expressed concern that the ruling Jubilee coalition may resort to the use of State resources to campaign for the August 8 poll.
“On behalf of our supporters, we would like to express our serious concerns about the use of State resources to intimidate and interfere with the campaigns. We also hope that hate speech will not be used as an excuse to muzzle people as they conduct their campaigns,” said Raila.
Earlier, when asked how he felt about participating in the presidential race for the fourth time, he answered: “We are determined to unite Kenyans in bringing change to our country. We are calling this the culmination of many years of the struggle of the people of Kenya to reach the glory land. Today, we are going to be talking about our journey through the desert and to where we are today. We are poised to cross the river to reach the glory land.”
On the steps of KICC, Raila waved to a large crowd that stretched beyond Parliament Road as hawk-eyed security officers looked out for any signs of trouble. Also cleared was Raila’s running mate, Kalonzo Musyoka, a key pillar of the Opposition’s Pentagon that also brings together Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula, and Isaac Ruto of Chama cha Mashinani (CCM).
Kalonzo, Mr Wetang’ula, and Mr Ruto watched as their captain, well accustomed to the nomination ritual, went through the process.
Fair play
Raila was proposed by Olga Karani, an ODM member, while Kalonzo was proposed by Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire.
As cameras clicked away, Raila said his coalition was willing to concede defeat should it fairly fall to the Jubilee juggernaut led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We are going to conduct a peaceful campaign and we know that there are going to be winners and losers. If we lose, we will accept the result,” he said.
Raila first ran for president in 1997, where he finished third behind incumbent President Daniel arap Moi and then Democratic Party candidate, Mwai Kibaki.
In 2002, he threw his weight behind Mr Kibaki, then contesting under the Opposition umbrella, National Rainbow Coalition (NARC). Raila’s most formidable run was in 2007, when a disputed election led to the formation of the Grand Coalition government. In 2013, he contested President Kenyatta’s win at the Supreme Court but lost.
When an aide, George Oduor, tried to shield him from Nairobi’s drizzle that came after a long dry spell, Raila declined. The NASA supporters responded with wild cheers at this perceived act of sacrifice.
The day included prayers at All Saints Cathedral had a gush of symbolism and religious anaology as Raila compared himself to the biblical Joshua, who led the Israelites to the Promised Land after the death of the prophet Moses.
