Thread by @dnjaga1

These threads started when I proposed we should deliberately choose a President outside Kikuyu and Kalenjin tribes. A Raila hater told me I was indirectly campaigning for Raila. This motivated the second series on Railaphobia.

The responses have again led me to two more questions: How should Raila relate with Mt Kenya voters? What is it about Raila and BBI? I address the first question here.

Newspaper headlines last week depicted Raila as desperately trying to win Mt Kenya. It hurt me knowing Raila's past service to Kikuyu nation. After 2017 elections, I wrote in @TheStarKenya and commented that Raila was reliving Kibaki experience in 1997. What experience was that?

After Kibaki was rigged out, his court case was delayed over one year and finally dismissed on a technicality. Sunday Nation writer Kwendo Opanga commented: “Kibaki may be the best president, KENYA WILL NEVER HAVE.” Nobody thought Kibaki would live to be president in 2002

In 2017, I saw the same happening to Raila. In my star article, I said it was my political obituary to my hero; thinking that was Raila’s last chance in politics. Apparently, I was wrong. All indications are that Raila will be on the ballot – AS A SERIOUS CANDIDATE

While my personal wish would have been for Raila to retire from politics, I cannot begrudge his pitch one more time given the injustices he has endured in elections. Sonko nearly let the cat out of the bag – RAILA’S DEFEATS HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHENTIC

How would I handle Mt Kenya voting block in Raila’s shoes? We are told many times in marketing that it’s better to specialize in your customers. That there are better returns in pleasing your customers than trying to win new ones. It can’t be so different in politics

Recently, prominent blogger, Seth Godin, commented:

“Pleasing the UNPLEASABLE can be a trap, an endless treadmill of disappointment that leads nowhere in particular.
We should be clear because WORKING TO PLEASE THE PLEASABLE is a lot more likely to pay off.”

In other words, it makes more sense to love your supporters and engage them than to invest in winning hostile or lukewarm supporters. The utterance by Kikuyu leaders, especially Nderitu Gachagua and Ndindi Nyoro makes Raila entreaty very expensive

Something else, Raila’s focus on Mt Kenya votes may be at the expense of his conventional support base. We are told many times marriage becomes boring because we stop “seducing” our spouses and take them for granted. I would tell Raila – please the pleasable more

Numbers make a politician and Raila has a right to hunger for more and more support. But he should not be reduced to a beggar. Of course, people have the right to choose or reject him. But it should not be a privilege to seek votes in Kikuyuland for Raila. He shouldn't stoop low

But the more he appears desperate and beggarly, the more his Kikuyu haters will “play hard to get” with ethnic arrogance and entitlement. Mutahi Ngunyi could be right - Kikuyus sometimes exaggerate their sense of importance. How did we become IDPs in Kenya if we are so sharp?

Raila should relate with Kikuyu in a spirit of mutual respect and inter-dependence. Not as a junior. I repeat – Kikuyu leaders tried to remove Moi in vain. It is Raila and his father who made it impossible for Moi to rule Kenya for life as he anticipated.

Politics is about votes of course. But in 2017, Raila demonstrated that Mt Kenya votes are not a SINE QUA NON FOR VICTORY. The repeat elections also shattered the myth of TYRANNY OF NUMBERS. Not to mention that Raila still has many supporters within Mt Kenya.

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