I Don't Have To Be President, Says Raila

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said he does not have to be Kenya's President. In an extensive interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night, Raila said he can not impose himself on Kenyans. He said he joined politics in the late 70s to change the country but not necessarily through the presidency."I have never been in politics to be a president but to serve the people. I can do so in whatever capacity that they will accord me," said Raila.

Now 69, Raila has contested and lost three presidential elections, two of them controversially. He first ran in 1997 and lost to President Daniel arap Moi. He ran again in 2007 when Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner in a disputed result that led to post-election violence. In March 2013 he lost to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In the Citizen interview, Raila denied that age would disqualify him in 2017 when he will be 72 years. "I will still be younger than President Kibaki when he contested and won the presidency in 2002 and went on to serve for two terms. I will still be younger than the late Jomo Kenyatta and Nelson Mandela when they took power," responded Raila.He said age is just a number and if Kenyans endorse him, he would consider it. "I have severally put the question in rallies and other gatherings and people have always given me the answer. I will consult and weigh the options. I am also not a fool. I know when to quit," he told presenter Hussein Mohamed.He said the Cord coalition with the Wiper party of Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya of Moses Wetangula remains in place.

He said he could support either of the two as the Cord presidential candidate in 2017 if they are selected. "I am not selfish. All I want to see is change. I have demonstrated this before. In 2002 I backed Kibaki to realize change," he said. He denied that he is grooming his eldest son Fidel Odinga to take over from him.

Raila said he cannot groom anyone because "politics is a calling." He said his latefather Jaramogi Odinga did not groom him and he made a personal decision to quit engineering for politics."Fidel is a businessman for now. He is well over 30 and he can make a decision of his own. I do not have to do so for him," he said. He said the struggles in ODM ahead of tomorrow's polls testifies to the party's internal democracy.Two factions have emerged seeking the party's top leadership positions. One comprises Senator Agnes Zani, Senator Otieno Kajwang and MP Paul Otuoma while the other consists of MP Ababu Namwamba and Governor Josephat Nanok and Governor Hassan Joho.

Raila denied forcing Luo-Nyanza candidates out of the race in favour of some candidates. "What I clearly stated to them, and I am ready to reiterate, is that ODM is a national party which must have the face of the whole nation in its executive and so they should stop seeing some positions as preserve of Luo-Nyanza," he said. He has been criticised by regional leaders led by Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura and Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno.

Raila confessed that his party had faced "challenges" providing effective opposition to the Jubilee government since the election "We have ironed out the issues," he said and promised that Cord would now become an effective opposition. Raila denied practicing double standards by advising Jubilee to respect the judiciary when he himself had criticised it. "I obeyed the decisions even though I did not agree with them. And I said as much," he said.

Raila also said he disagreed with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over anti-gay legislation which he said is not a priority for Kenyans.

- The Star

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said he does not have to be Kenya's President.

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He lost three times in the past and,, still wants to run next time when he will be seventy two,,,and
here:smile-big: you hear him say that he doesn't have to be a president.

A politician will always be,,,,, a politician.

He said he could support either of the two as the Cord presidential candidate in 2017 if they
are selected. "I am not selfish. All I want to see is change. I have demonstrated this before. In 2002
I backed Kibaki to realize change," he said. He denied that he is grooming his eldest son Fidel Odinga
to take over from him.

Click to expand...

Another big and useless joke,,,that he can support another person,,,it will never
happen in this time and age,,,,even if he wants,,which is a miracle,,,,his people will
and cannot allow him do that.

Yes he did support another person in the past,,but that was very different,,the environment
was completely different,,they wanted to uproot that gigantic baobab tree in the name of
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi,,so the best he could is,,join hands with Kibaki,,,uproot Moi and
deal with Kibaki,,,later,,just the way Njonjo combined forces Mwai Kibaki and Moi just after
Mzee jomo Kenyatta's death,,with an a hidden agenda,,that is Njojo's,,bring down the Kiambu
mafia,,,make it possible for Moi to take power and deal with him,,later.

But in those two circumstances,,,both Raila and Njonjo failed very miserably.

Their calculations failed. So to hear Raila talk of,,eti supporting somebody else,,,is far
from the real truth,,,unless,,it is the end of the world,,which,,according to me,,is not
that,,,soon.

And this talk of his,,,that of bringing change in Kenya,,,who told him that change can
only come through him???????

When he was,,the only prime minister we ever knew,,our generation,,,what changes,,
no matter how small it was,,,what changes did he bringing in this country????

He will or some will say,,about the new constitution,,but this document was not
brought by Raila himself,,it was a concerted effort by many,,including wanainchi
who voted for it.

The only visible change,,is that expensive office he built for himself,,that is the
only change he has ever brought,,alone,,in this country.

He will never be one.

He said age is just a number and if Kenyans endorse him, he would consider it.

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oh yes...he'll just "consider" it.
people are funny.

Let's just wait for 2017/18 and see whether what he is saying is true.

Jammu Africa said:

He lost three times in the past and,, still wants to run next time when he will be seventy two,,,and
here:smile-big: you hear him say that he doesn't have to be a president.

A politician will always be,,,,, a politician.



Another big and useless joke,,,that he can support another person,,,it will never
happen in this time and age,,,,even if he wants,,which is a miracle,,,,his people will
and cannot allow him do that.

Yes he did support another person in the past,,but that was very different,,the environment
was completely different,,they wanted to uproot that gigantic baobab tree in the name of
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi,,so the best he could is,,join hands with Kibaki,,,uproot Moi and
deal with Kibaki,,,later,,just the way Njonjo combined forces Mwai Kibaki and Moi just after
Mzee jomo Kenyatta's death,,with an a hidden agenda,,that is Njojo's,,bring down the Kiambu
mafia,,,make it possible for Moi to take power and deal with him,,later.

But in those two circumstances,,,both Raila and Njonjo failed very miserably.

Their calculations failed. So to hear Raila talk of,,eti supporting somebody else,,,is far
from the real truth,,,unless,,it is the end of the world,,which,,according to me,,is not
that,,,soon.

And this talk of his,,,that of bringing change in Kenya,,,who told him that change can
only come through him???????

When he was,,the only prime minister we ever knew,,our generation,,,what changes,,
no matter how small it was,,,what changes did he bringing in this country????

He will or some will say,,about the new constitution,,but this document was not
brought by Raila himself,,it was a concerted effort by many,,including wanainchi
who voted for it.

The only visible change,,is that expensive office he built for himself,,that is the
only change he has ever brought,,alone,,in this country.

Click to expand...

nguruwe pori hata umpe nini hawezi kubadilika na kuacha kushambulia shamba la miogo,pamoja na strangle zote za odinga bado munamuona hafai.
wakenya wana roho mbaya sana,heshima kwa elders zero kwao,Uhuru na ruto waliungana kuipinga katiba mpya,hata kibaki mwenyewe na wakikuyu walio wengi walipinga katiba behind the scene.
Leo hii MTU anakuja humu kwa uchambuzi nyepes nyepes eti katiba mpya walipigania na kushiriki wote,wanafiki wakubwa nyie,MTU alikuwa sijui red,sijui ndizi alafu Unamuona na unafiki hata bila Aibu humu kujigamba eti sisi wote tulipigania katiba mpya.shame on you hypocrites .

Crucial Man said:

nguruwe pori hata umpe nini hawezi kubadilika na kuacha kushambulia shamba la miogo,pamoja na strangle zote za odinga bado munamuona hafai.
wakenya wana roho mbaya sana,heshima kwa elders zero kwao,Uhuru na ruto waliungana kuipinga katiba mpya,hata kibaki mwenyewe na wakikuyu walio wengi walipinga katiba behind the scene.
Leo hii MTU anakuja humu kwa uchambuzi nyepes nyepes eti katiba mpya walipigania na kushiriki wote,wanafiki wakubwa nyie,MTU alikuwa sijui red,sijui ndizi alafu Unamuona na unafiki hata bila Aibu humu kujigamba eti sisi wote tulipigania katiba mpya.shame on you hypocrites .

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mambo ya kusema katiba ilipiganiwa ni bure kwa sababu katiba ni mpya ilipiganiwa lakini haiendelezwi wala kutekelezwa. 2006/7 raila alisema majimbo ndio suluhisho, sasa kenya tuko majimbo bado wanabishana

still waiting..