Raila Humiliated, Besigye Bruised, Museveni, Ruto in Break Dance

Raila Humiliated, Besigye Bruised, Museveni &  Ruto in Break Dance

That Unforgettable Afternoon in Kisozi!!

You should have seen the look of Kenyan perennial opposition leader, Raila Omollo Odinga, as he hopelessly received a stick from President Yoweri Museveni’s farm errand boys while William Ruto looked on as his bones danced calypso.

For Museveni, he couldn’t have prayed for a sweeter revenge against a man who had publicly despised him for an eternity but was cornered by circumstances.

As one of the opposition candidates who has tried and failed to unseat a government, many had concluded that 2022 was Raila’s last chance to write his name in the annals of history as one of the leaders of the black continent. The controversial elections left him, as usual, grambling for cramps from Ruto’s table, handshake style.

For a man on whose side life isn’t, the leadership of the African Union presents the only practical chance to achieve and have his name written among the great people of Kenya and Africa.

As such, the once upon a time “Lion of the Luo” is willing to stake everything to get to Adis Abab even at the cost of his pride at the hands of a sworn adversary.

Museveni and Raila present one another as a matter of fact.

In September, 2021, the former Kenyan Prime Minister hosted and held a closed-door meeting with Dr Kizza Besigye, a long term political adversary to Museveni. Officials from Odinga’s office said the two political big wigs discussed several issues related to the rule of law and entrenchment of democracy in Kenya and Uganda. The meeting took place at Raila’s residence in Nairobi.

“It was great catching up with my long-time friend Kizza Besigye” adding that “Dr. Kizza Besigye and I discussed the liberation dream that is still being pursued in many of our nations.” Odinga tweeted after the meeting.

Odinga commended Besigye for staying focused on the well-being of people in Uganda.

The events followed then Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto’s public humiliation when he was stopped from boarding a flight to Uganda over unclear reasons, stoking political tensions at home with Odinga’s camp believed to have been principally behind the move.

Potentially adding to Museveni’s resentment, Odinga made a memorable visit to Besigye on Besigye’s sick bed when Besigye flew to Nairobi for medical treatment following the grisly 2011 assault during the infamous walk to work protests.

Odinga, as he normally did, castigated the Ugandan regime over the manner in which they had handled the issue of the protestors who were demanding answers for an increase in prices for essential goods in the country.

To further underline the Animosity between the two parties, at the height of the 2013 post election violence in Kenya, some ODM MPs led by Lands Minister Kames Orengo and Dr Oburu Oginga are on record accusing the Ugandan leader of deploying his military in Western Kenya to crackdown on Odinga’s supporters. They also called out Museveni for congratulating President Mwai Kibaki for the victory which was being contested.

And Museveni does not forget. He has demonstrated over the years to remain steadfast always, waiting for an opportunity to pay back his debts with the same or even a stronger currency.

Even though Odinga tried to atone for his transgressions when he appeared at Museveni’s campaign rally in 2016, it still seemed to fall way below the Ugandan leader’s valuation of the damage done by the years of resentment.

With a stick in his hand, his pastoral colleagues talking a language of cows a luo man hardly understands, Raila must have been feeling excruciatingly humiliated. Why even Museveni chose to show his rival on camera at his farm and not in Nakasero speaks volumes.

In a nutshell, the ODM leader was humiliated, undressed and made to kneel before two of his biggest adversaries. Was this really a justifiable price for a ticket to Adis Ababa?

STAY TUNED.