Raila and the politics of compromise: What changed, what didn’t
Election
Originally published by News – Capital FM — Read the original article →
Candidate announcement
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 15 — From the struggle for multiparty democracy to the corridors of power, from the contested 2007 election to the Supreme Court-annulled 2017 presidential race, and ultimately to his final political realignment with William Ruto, Raila Odinga’s career embodied the contradictions of Kenya’s democratic journey.
When Kenya launched Raila’s bid for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship in August 2024, the campaign brought together political rivals in an unlikely alliance, with Ruto leading the national effort to secure his election.
To supporters, the partnership demonstrated pragmatism and a willingness to put national interests above personal grievances; to critics, it raised questions about the price of compromise and the fate of the causes that had sustained his movement.