Kenyans Told Dangerous Thing Raila Supporters Were Preparing To Do In 2018 If Uhuru Hanged Him

Political analyst Peter Kagwanja says that President Uhuru Kenyatta didn't have ODM leader Raila Odinga arrested after his 2018 mock swearing-in due to the knowledge of what would have followed.

Raila on January 30, 2018, while claiming to have been rigged out in the 2017 presidential race, had himself sworn in as the People's President, an oath that was administered by lawyer Miguna Miguna.

The oath was seen by some as treasonous, which Kagwanja too says was the case, and opines that the President if he wanted to, would have had the veteran politician arrested, tried, and even hanged.

But he states that Uhuru knew that what would have followed was unrest and violence, hence his decision to not react and even proceed and strike a peace and union deal with the former Prime Minister.

He says that some supporters of Raila were even ready to engage the government in an internal war, hence Uhuru's decision to play it cool.

"Uhuru had the option of putting him (Raila) in jail and even possibly, hang him but the situation would have gone bad. Some people were ready to go the guerrilla route. But Kenya won because she was spared the weekly demonstrations, the violence that would have cost the country dearly,” he told the People Daily.

He adds that what began as a peace deal has now morphed into a powerful union likely to decide who became the next President, in reference to Uhuru declaring support for Raila's presidential bid.

Kagwanja is of the opinion that the biggest loser is Deputy President William Ruto, whose path to State House was seen as clear but who now risks not capturing the presidency, thanks to the handshake.

He states that the DP is aware that Uhuru and Raila have spoiled his calculations hence his subsequent dislike for them, the handshake, and their activities.

"Before the Handshake, only four years stood between Ruto and the presidency because of the tyranny of numbers that he and Uhuru had amassed. But he has now been left naked and a bitter man. In all these, Raila remains the ultimate winner because he managed to split Jubilee to birth the Jubilee reloaded and United Democratic Alliance and won the backing of Uhuru,” adds the commentator.