An Open Letter To President Uhuru Kenyatta

Mr. President, I’m no expert when it comes to writing letters. As a matter of fact, I didn’t know what an Open Letter was until a few minutes ago. Please don’t nullify my letter based on irregularities and illegalities. Allow me to skip the pleasantries and address the subject of this letter. I’m writing to ask you not to fall for Raila’s trap; he is out to ruin your legacy and the country we love. Sir, I know there is pressure to ‘act and show your might’ but I ask you think long and hard what exactly that means for legacy and our country’s future. Act you must, but how you do it will make all the difference.

Before we look into the details of Raila’s trap, which is as evil as evil can get, let me briefly share what you did that pricked your opponent to the point he’s willing to die (literally) to see you gone.

You respected International Laws, even though the charges against you were fabricated…

The expectation of most was that you’d show the ICC Cases the contempt card. You didn’t! Instead you earned the trust of the international community; managed to move Kenya from “essential contact” to “mutual partnership”. Sir, you showed respect for international laws by honoring all the ICC sermons. In fact, you may be the only sitting president to honor ICC sermons. And we all still remember how your deputy, William, spent days at The Hague.

When sadists were on their knees praying for your incarceration at The Hague, you put up a spirited defense that saw the fabricated charges dismissed. The political cases died a slow and painful death!

You can only imagine how your opponent felt. He didn’t hide it by the way. Remember how, France 24, he wondered why you were not convicted using recanted testimonies? Well, he felt that bad.

You preached cohesion, when surrounding yourself with tribesmen was the easiest option…

While you no longer had to worry about ICC cases and commanding international respect, the country was still divided. Millions were still skeptical of your rule. To fix this, you demystified the presidency (made it the symbol of national unity it should be). Sir, you took the message of national cohesion to people who didn’t recognize you presidency. You were heckled, dressed down and had to dodge flying shoes. And it paid off…that’s why the party you lead (Jubilee) is the most popular today.

Mr. President you didn’t just do the unthinkable (uniting Kikuyus and Kalenjins following the unfortunate events of 2007/8), you brought on board all Kenyans. The Tuko Pamoja message sunk and our country was no longer sharply divided.

Saying this pained your opponent will be an understatement. A man who’s brand of politics depends entirely on ethnic balkanization saw Kenyans warming up to your gospel of inter-ethnic cohesion.

You initiated meaningful development projects all over the country…

As hostility against you sublimed, you moved with speed to prioritize Kenya’s needs. Fixing security, laying down the needed infrastructure, provision of affordable healthcare and accessible/reliable service delivery mechanism dominated your agenda.

Within a few months our villages had electricity, Huduma Centers were up and running in most counties. We had the SGR, expanded sea and airports…highways, modern markets, county hospitals had renal, imaging and ICUs…and our borders were once again secured.

Don’t you thing this messed everything up for your opponent? I mean, he depended on you failing to initiate and see through meaningful projects yet you went ahead to surpass our expectations.

You built yourself a legacy…

Mr. President, all you did since taking over in 2013 gave Kenyans the best memory. The Uhuru we know is a man who delivered the SGR in 2.5years, connected more homes and schools to electricity than all the previous regimes combined, improved healthcare, revolutionized service delivery and embraced all irrespective of political affiliation.

The Uhuru most Kenyans know is the man who traveled far and wide looking for investors, sacked half of his cabinet to fight graft and whose sound foreign policy saw the “who is who” visit Kenya and extend invites too. That’s the Uhuru we know and reelected. But that’s also the Uhuru Raila would do everything to destroy. He is jealous of your legacy…he can’t imagine what you’ll do with 5 more years seeing you put Kenya on the map in 4.

Why Raila is jealous of you sir

There may be many reasons, some even historical, but these four are obvious and are likely to be behind Raila’s open onslaught against your presidency Mr. President.

1. When you moved from one country to the next looking for investors and hosting investment fora, Raila called hundreds of press conferences to scare the investors away…in a desperate attempt to sabotage the economy. Fortunately for Kenya, our economy only grew stronger.
2. While you were traversing every corner of Kenya preaching peace and interethnic cohesion, Raila called rallies to pit communities against each other…making others feel as if our challenges as a country were tied to one community’s imagined progress. He managed to convert no one, Kenyans joined your peace caravan and the results of August elections bears it all.
3. When you sacked half of your cabinet to fight graft, Raila shamelessly ran to the defense of corrupt ODM governors and friends. His attempt to paint you as the most corrupt president ended up with all seeing him as the defender of the corrupt. He failed and your war on graft paid (even if they hate to admit it).
4. As you were delivering Madaraka Express, connecting homes and schools to electricity, equipping our hospitals and availing outpatient health cover through NHIF, commissioning Huduma Centers etc, Raila spent the same period trying to make Kenya ungovernable.

That’s why he is suicidal, politically speaking. That’s why he decided to trap you.

While you believed in the independence of our institutions and saw no need to infiltrate and influence their operations, Raila went ahead to plant his sympathizers at the Judiciary and IEBC. He knew there was no way he would defeat you in a free and affair election…not with your achievements and transformation agenda. So, he came up with a ‘post defeat plan’ to snatch your victory.

With the help of collaborators from IEBC, the compromised judges used flimsy grounds to nullify your victory. What many may not know is that Raila knows he can’t be president and can’t force you into a power sharing deal either. He simply expected you do dismiss the biased ruling and go ahead with a swearing ceremony. That way, the law abiding Uhuru enjoying international goodwill would have turned into Dictator Uhuru facing sanctions from our partners. You ashamed him by agreeing to an unnecessary repeat election. Your move left Raila more desperate and behaving like a suicide bomber (wearing a vest).

He’s decided to attack your presidency, question the legitimacy of your government and calling pressers to insult your person. Why do all that? Thanks for asking Sir. Raila is hoping you meet him halfway…use your immense power to deal with him or one of the mouthy insolent political leeches hanging on his hate caravan. That way ‘Uhuru the protector of democracy and the most tolerant unifying figure’ would have turned into a ‘temperamental president descending on his critics. So far, you’ve ignored them…and that’s eating them from within.

What next…

Sadly, Raila is not going to stop Sir. He’ll hold violent demos even if it means opposing your birthday. He’ll attempt everything to sabotage the repeat election (for they know they can’t win against your impressive record). The demands for Chiloba’s immediate removal without due prepress, for instance, is an invitation to chaos. He wants to engage in running battles with the police for as long as it takes, distract the IEBC from preparing and conducting the repeat poll…then run to his stooges at the judiciary (who are ready to pay the ultimate price—whatever that is)to declare your presidency illegal.

What do I expect you to do sir?

• To sit pretty as our country is pushed over a cliff by a bitter loser in the name of being a tolerant and internationally loved president? I don’t think so…If you do, we may not have a country to begin with.
• Do I expect you to pounce on Rao and his suicidal team? No! That’s all he wants. And if you must know Sir, the man has nothing to lose. His is to ruin your legacy…take you down with him at whatever cost.

What should you do then? Well, find a compromise…save our country from anarchy without ruining your legacy by joining Raila in the mud. How do you that? Sir, that’s why you are the president and I’m not. That’s why you have a team of elite advisers. Your opponent is ready to sacrifice his tribesmen to ruin your legacy and such a man needs calculated handling…not for his sake (he is too bitter to care) but for the sake of people he’s is using as human shield. The Luo youth he’s holding hostage and who’ll become collateral damage should you use ultimate force. I would have floated a few options, but that’s akin to telling a suicide bomber how you plan to rescue the hostages…nothing would stop him from pressing the button to kill the hostages before they can be rescued.

Sir, J.K Rowling once said ‘If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his inferiors, not his equals’. So far so good. Save our country from this political suicide bomber without collateral damage. Find out away. I believe in your leadership.

Yours Truly

Samson Ogola

An Optimist, Patriot and Supporter.