allAfrica.com: Kenya: He Carries the Legacy of His Father, Jaramogi (Page 1 of 2)

Last week's hurried constitutional amendment in Parliament to create the posts of prime minister and two deputy prime ministers brings to mind the role of the family of the first Vice-President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, in shaping the country's political destiny.

Until his death in 1994, Jaramogi -- a fearless and charismatic leader -- had put two presidents under intense political pressure, forcing them to make desperate constitutional changes. He led a spirited fight that forced President Jomo Kenyatta to make the country a de facto (in practice but not in principle) one-party state.

He also teamed up with other multi-party advocates and forced President Moi to make Kenya a de jure (in principle or by law) one-party state. Jaramogi, undoubtedly the country's father of opposition politics, played a key role in the struggle that forced the same president to plead with Parliament to make hurried constitutional changes and reverse the situation.

Constitutional reforms

And, as if reading from his father's political script, his son Raila has also put pressure on President Kibaki and forced him to make far-reaching constitutional reforms.

In fact, in an interview with a local television station a week ago, he said he draws his inspiration from Jaramogi as well as former South African President Nelson Mandela. The Prime Minister-designate said that whatever he does has always been for the good of the country and not for his own selfish gains.

If most post-independence amendments to the Constitution appeared to target Jaramogi and frustrate his struggle to climb to power, last week's changes, undoubtedly, aimed to embrace his son and make him a key player in the current government.

Soon after the results of the presidential elections of December 27, 2007, were announced, the country was hit by violence that left in its wake over 1,000 people dead, more than 350,000 displaced and property destroyed.

But the violence subsided after President Kibaki and Mr Odinga signed a power-sharing agreement on February 28, after five weeks of peace talks mediated by former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan, former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and former South African First Lady Graca Machel. As a result of the power deal, Mr Odinga is all set to become the country's second PM.

The influence of the Odinga family in the country's politics goes back to 1958 when Jaramogi demanded the release of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta from jail before independence. He declared there would be no real independence without the release of Mr Kenyatta, who would become Kenya's first President.

In fact, Jaramogi's reported "No Kenyatta No Uhuru call helped fast track the independence process.

The current peace mediation efforts are similar to those that took place in London ahead of the country's independence on December 12, 1963. Then Jaramogi and other Kenya African National Union leaders, including Jomo Kenyatta, had engaged their counterparts in the Kenya National Democratic Union in unending political struggles.

Jaramogi, a member of the African Elected Members Organisation, told the British government - right on its soil in London - Kenyans would accept nothing short of the release of Mau Mau detainees before any independence process would begin.

That was at a time when many nationalists appeared ready to wait for another 10 years before the country could be mature enough to attain independence from the British government.

If the colonial masters gave in to pressure from Jaramogi and company, and released Kenyatta, President Kibaki, perhaps, gave in to pressure from the Raila-led Orange Democratic Party as well as the international community, and signed a major power-sharing deal that will lead to comprehensive constitutional reforms this year.

President Kibaki is optimistic his move will bear fruit and he told Parliament as much on Tuesday.

The independence constitutional framework was negotiated under the Lancaster House Conference series of three meetings (1960, 1962, 1963) and involved the two major parties - the Kenya African National Union and the Kenya African Democratic Union.

The two had engaged in a long struggle over the kind of constitution a new nation would embrace. Kanu supported a unitary system while Kadu, which had the support of the British, preferred the federal or majimbo constitution.

The talks had started after Jaramogi as well as other nationalists pushed for Mzee Kenyatta's release. To the Kanu politicians, Mr Kenyatta was the best bet to become Kenya's president. Jaramogi could as well have said "Kenyatta Tosha (Kenyatta is the one)" as his son would do in 2002, when he told Kenyans "Kibaki Tosha" and paved the way for an easy victory for the then Official Leader of the Opposition.

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