Many presidential wannabes have flooded the fast-populating battling arena to State House. Some, especially the first-timers, have started selling their crude, naive, too-wishful, glorified manifestoes while the old boys and girls are busy transcending valleys and hills trying to re-polish their past in a bid to attract would-be new voters come next year and remind staunch supporters of their flamboyance and capabilities.
The newest entrant, Raphael Tuju, is one individual worth his salt and if Kenyans wanted a man of principles to lead them from next year then they have that leader in Tuju. A principled man is that one who stands with those principles even if an adulterating hand is hovering around. Such people stick to what’s in their hearts, follow their beliefs and refuse to be compromised by most of all, their bosses. Tuju did that against Nyanza idol Raila Odinga.
Tuju can stand tall and say he denied Raila a chance to force him worship his ego-often bloated. Instead he chose to get stuck to his guns but better or worse he went ahead and bravely shot Raila’s ego even though that was suicidal. He was literally killed by the Prime Minister’s popularity in Nyanza when he chose to oppose him and fight a lonely battle which he lost before he threw the first missile in 2007.
Rarieda constituency, home to Tuju and where he was Mp (2003-07), is entangled in the region having a more or less single political idol in Raila. If another voice, like Tuju, emerges they are abhorred and treated similarly like John the Baptist and their desert-calls rejected. That’s what happened to the former cabinet minister who spent stints at Information and Foreign Affairs dockets before being halted by determined fate in 2007. Nonetheless, Tuju knowing he was writing his political will decided to kick Raila out of his political life. The outcome was nothing unexpected-he died, politically. That though might have been a blessing in disguise now he’s thinking of selling himself to all Kenyans other than to adulterated inhabitants.
For neutrals, those sober voters who don’t worship any political idols, Raphael Tuju could be that prefect pick for them; the one you vote for and be safe from being branded tribal. Others like James Ole Kiyiapi and Mutava Musyimi who would likely try to endear themselves to independent or undecided voters would certainly find hard to battle for those votes with Tuju.
Considering the current status of local politics, though still marred by tribal idolism there’s a general feeling that could be changing and 2012 elections could be a turning point. Such tweaking would set free voters from voting for enforced political kings and instead vote for deserving, better candidates. Raphael Tuju could be one of those beneficiaries of this looming change.
Moral Lesson: Stick to what your heart presses you to even if it’s considered suicidal by outsiders. That might turn out to be a blessing later.
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