Is There Some Truth in the Claims to Assassinate Raila?

Is there some truth in the claims to assassinate Raila? I don't know.


According to ODM Chief Whip, Jakoyo Midiwo, there are mercenaries who have been hired to assassinate the Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga. The assertions by Midiwo have caused ripples across the country. The Prime Minister has however dismissed the claims and said that he is not afraid of death and will die when his time comes.

In his allegations, Midiwo also added that some influential persons including cabinet ministers are in the loop of the assassination plans. Foreign Minister Prof Sam Ongeri has come out fiercely demanding that Midiwo substantiate his claims.

I don't know what you think about this, but to me there are two possibilities: on one hand, the allegations may be just that, allegations. On the other hand, this could be true.

It was Adolf Hitler who popularized the propaganda technique of telling bigger and believable lies. He was of the opinion that if you were to tell a very big lie, people would believe it. He said that it would be difficult for people to imagine that a person "could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously."

Is Midiwo distorting the the truth "so infamously"? There are many senior politicians who believe that he is not. If he is, the question we must ask ourselves is: to what end is he doing this? That is homework for you!

The second possibility is that Midiwo could be actually telling the truth. Now that is more scaring than him lying about it. What does it mean for Kenya? Who are these persons supposedly behind the assassination plot?

My worry is that in a tribalized country that Kenya is, which is daily being divided by politicians holding "prayers" and tribal groupings to stop the ICC, any attempt at the Premier's life would be read along tribal lines. And, voila! We'll be back to 2007/2008 and the ICC will have to wait - to increase the names on their list!

The week has kicked off but in our minds and hearts we pray that the "whole thing" be just that. Let us hope that there is no truth in the allegations and if there is (for that is a possibility), let the matter be handled expeditiously. Times like these reminds some of us of the primary school idiom: to nip in the bud. Yes, let's nip this thing in the bud!

Have a tribal-groupings' free week!