It is totally laughable that almost two months after President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn into office, NASA leader Raila Odinga still imagines that he can take office as the President of Kenya.
Well, his planned swearing-in will be inconsequential and a waste of time, because, already, the duly elected President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, already took the oath of office and that of due execution of office.
Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto are in the process of constituting the Cabinet that will be able to deliver on the four key pillars of the President’s legacy. The President has indicated his willingness to reach out to his opponents to deliberate on how to deliver on his manifesto: This is clearly an olive branch to the opposition leaders, which they should embrace gracefully.
Imagining that the Jubilee administration will share the loaf of bread with the opposition is far-fetched and unrealistic.
National dialogue of any nature to set the country on the course of development cannot be all about sharing positions.
That is what the President and Deputy President have committed themselves to. However, Raila’s push to be sworn in as the People’s President by the People’s Assembly then sets the country on a collision path, a dangerous trajectory that cannot be entertained by true democrats and those who profess democratic principles and ideals.
Why would Raila dilute his democracy credentials by such a single act as being sworn in through the backdoor? That would erode the very gains he has fought for.
It is obnoxious to have two presidents in a republic that is governed by the rule of law and constitutionalism.
When he walks to whatever podium across the country and takes the so-called oath of office, that would mean nothing because the country already has a democratically elected leader who has already assumed office. The House on the Hill is properly occupied by a legally elected and sworn in President.
The swearing-in ceremony that Raila could be arranging is just like any other political rally where he will get an opportunity to address his supporters for some hours and then retreat either to his Karen home or Bondo, not State House, Nairobi, the national seat of power, or any other State Lodge across the country.
The writer is the Nyamira county Woman Representative elected on the Jubilee ticket
Raila won 8/8/17 election