- Senator Oburu Oginga says that Nyanza should not engage in the discussion of who should be the next leader of the region after the death of Raila Odinga
- According to him, Raila and his colleagues did their part politically for the long time it took them
- He said Raila trained many young politicians who are now fit to replace the fallen leader
Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga says there is no urgency to appoint a new Nyanza leader following the death of the ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Source: Twitter
Speaking in his first media interview since Raila’s death, Oburu, who is currently in charge of ODM as its interim leader, admitted that Raila’s tenure in Nyanza politics, and by extension, national politics, was unique.
Who will be Raila’s political successor?
However, he noted that a new generation of leadership would be more appropriate at this stage.
Appearing to dissociate himself from rumors about being Raila’s political successor, Oburu said that the former prime minister’s colleagues should not be considered as the next leaders.
The senator noted that Raila had given sufficient training to the leaders who now have the strength and motivation to carry on his legacy.
“From where I am, I believe Raila’s contemporaries should distance themselves from him. Personally, I would prefer the leadership to be handed over to those who worked closely with him, not us who are his peers,” he said.
Oburu who was an outspoken liberal appreciated more that the next election cycle would be better for a group of young leaders who had long held the respect of his contemporaries.
What advice did Oburu Oginga give to Kenyan youth?
The positions to be elected in 2027 will be for young people to be taken, he said.
Oburu advised the young politicians to align themselves with the existing political institutions to improve their leadership skills under proper mentorship.
“I encourage young people to take more leadership positions in the next election. They have the strength and time to serve. But to really lead, they should take the responsibility of political parties, either by joining the existing ones or by creating their own,” he added.
Raila died on October 15 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in India.
How Raila’s death disrupted his camp
His death was unexpected. Those close to him revealed that he was scheduled to return to Kenya on October 16 after his medical trip.
Raila’s death disrupted his group which respected him in important administrative and political matters.
Source: Twitter
With his death, the future of the ODM party is still unclear, due to rival groups that have maintained their positions on the wider government.
Before his death, the veteran politician was adamant that the ODM party would cooperate with the President William Ruto until 2027, after which he would lead the party in the direction of taking over.
He died without announcing whether the party would support Ruto in his bid for re-election.
One group within ODM believes that, because the party is part of the wider government, it is automatically lined up to support Ruto in 2027.
On the contrary, the opposition insists that Raila was only open about the party’s participation in the current deal with the government, but did not endorse support for Ruto’s re-election.
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