The much talked about Saba Saba rally in Nairobi came and went. There was no tsunami, no mass action and no dreams fulfilled. And thank God, no violence.
The thousands of people who arrived at the Uhuru Park grounds as early as six o'clock in the morning for the afternoon rally of the opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) sang, danced and listened to a cacophony of repetitious and colourless speeches. At the end of the day, they left the city, hungry and disappointed, while their leaders went home to dig into fillet steaks, washed down with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Like the May 31 rally that was promoted as the genesis of the Third Liberation but fell far short of expectations, the latest gathering flopped miserably in content and action and exposed CORD leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula as political acrobats capable of attracting crowds but unable to juggle.
The rally was the climax of a string of meetings throughout the country called to protest the government's refusal to convene a national dialogue to discuss some issues affecting the country. However, it turned out to be a storm in a tea cup. Even the resolutions adopted at the rally were, to use the word of Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, common.
The rally failed to produce the anticipated sting. Instead, it disrupted businesses in Nairobi and caused a security scare country-wide.
The huge amounts of money spent to fund security operations could have been used to improve the lives of Kenyans including those at Uhuru Park.
One person I feel sorry for in these opposition theatrics is Kalonzo Musyoka, the self-proclaimed born again adherent, peace ambassador and a designated co-leader of CORD. We all know about Raila's radical background and his obsession for extremism but to see Kalonzo at the centre of runaway opposition politics tells me there is something seriously wrong with our politicians. They move from the extreme left to the extreme right at the flip of a button and without care.
There is no reason why the former Vice President - a two-time presidential candidate - cannot chart his own independent political direction instead of shadowing Raila. His involvement in radical politics will surely haunt him if he decides to go for a third presidential attempt in 2017. My appeal to my former party leader is: Instead of wasting time in CORD, go back and rebuild your own WIPER party.
Finally, now that CORD has chosen to change tact, my hope is that it will stick to constitutional provisions to advance its agenda for change, instead of making a joke of itself in the public domain.
And that is my say
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