Raila Odinga's moment of glory as grand coalition takes shape

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga at Kasarani during ODM's National Delegates Congress. [Samson Wire, Standard]

On his handshake partner's big day, President Uhuru Kenyatta could not resist the urge to denounce talk that Raila Odinga was his political project.

And so before the Orange Democratic Movement party delegates, Uhuru struck at those calling Raila a project.

"When people fail to plan well and see the tides turning, the easiest thing to do is to label someone a project," Uhuru told the 10,000 delegates converged at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani's indoor arena.

"Raila is not my project, or the Government's."

The president had a chorus of his own, which was peppered with unending praise for Raila, his choice to succeed him.

"I am not here because of Raila the politician, a man I have competed with several times before. I am here because of Raila the leader," he said, opening floodgates of tribute for a man the president said had shown courage to shake hands with.

The biggest test of Raila's commitment, Uhuru said, was his credential as a peacemaker.

"There are those saying that Raila is a man of war... If he was, he would have opposed talks with President Kibaki to end the 2007 violence. He would never have shaken my hand," the president went on.

Earlier, the ODM leader had invited him to the stage, adorning him with a blue Azimio la Umoja cap, and Uhuru returning the favour by crowning him with one.

The moment itself was symbolic in that in the wake of the disputed repeat election of 2017, it was Raila who handed him legitimacy with their Harambee House handshake.

Uhuru, on the other hand, is intent on having Raila succeed him, as a gesture of the "kindness" Raila has shown him, which has earned the former Prime Minister the title of government project.

"Just as he asked nothing of me, and I, too, will ask nothing of him," quashing claims that he intended to turn Raila into a puppet.

The ODM leader had stated as much before he had invited his guests on stage.

"Uhuru has gone all out to support me because he believes in my leadership," the ODM leader said.

What Uhuru did not deny, however, was that he planned to be represented in the next government, and hence the formation of the Azimio la Umoja coalition, a vehicle that they hope will ferry them into the government.

For starters, Azimio will campaign across the country before they hold a joint rally in two weeks where, Uhuru said, "we will reveal our flagbearer."

Raila equated the new coalition to a truck that will run over whoever stands in its way, describing the moment that brought him and Uhuru together as historic.

"The unity that we have been yearning for as a country is taking shape... Many parties, such as Jubilee ODM and the One Kenya Alliance have declared that they will join Azimio," Raila said.

Party principals who attended the event endorsed the assertion.

"We have come a long way in this journey... Everyone has their own cockerel but we will emerge with one bullet in the end. The enemy is known and defined. He is not in this room. Our aim is one - victory," said Kanu chairperson Gideon Moi.

Wiper chairperson Chirau Ali Makwere described Raila's victory as "our victory", with United Democratic Party leader Cyrus Jirongo saying they would stick with Uhuru and Raila.

"This will be a three-legged horse of Jubilee, OKA and ODM," he said.

Raila's wife Ida Odinga capped it up by stating she did not take the support for Raila for granted.

"We will go out as women to campaign and tell Kenyans why it is important to have a good leader," she added.

The last time the president attended an ODM function, he was the opposition leader. 

Unlike yesterday's glamorous National Delegates Convention, the earlier event was a press briefing.

Then, Uhuru, Raila Odinga, Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka and Deputy President William Ruto had led a successful charge against a proposed Constitution in the 2005 referendum.

Basking in the glory of their victory, they declared themselves leaders of the next government, thus the formation of ODM.

Uhuru and Raila split up, with the president opting to support retired President Mwai Kibaki in the 2007 elections.

And yesterday, in front of thousands of ODM delegates, Uhuru and Raila expressed their hope in history repeating itself. That the new formation they are forging, the Azimio la Umoja, would see their team form the next government.

For Raila, the opposition leader who now supports the government, like Uhuru before him, will be hoping that his path won't be that different from the president's, and that he will emerge from the August 9 election as "the fifth".