Raila Amollo Odinga has been undoubtedly a political kingpin in Luo Nyanza for a long time.
Being his home turf, Raila has enjoyed maximum support in the region since time immemorial.
He has garnered more than 95% of the total votes in the region in each and every time he has contested for the presidency (1997, 2007, 2013 and 2017).
Luo Nyanza's confidence in the Odinga family dates back to the Kenyatta regime when Jaramogi Oginga Odinga used to be vice president and close confidante to Jomo Kenyatta.
The political direction and decision of the electorate from Nyanza is majorly shaped by the 74-year-old Raila.
With his age advanced, it is high time Raila identifies an appropriate political figure from Luo Nyanza who can properly fit in his shoes as the political master and endorse the person.
The Luo and Kenyan electorate will maximumly believe in him if he chooses to stand with a young and energetic leader and give him maximum support, advice and direction.
People will know that he is not a selfish person but a zealous leader determined to leave a positive legacy this will increase the region’s confidence in him plus his ideology.
Siaya, Kisumu, Homabay and Migori counties are his home turf and if he endorses a kingpin from either of the regions, it will be a massive political wave that will be difficult to be swayed by its adversaries.
Moreover, were he to endorse somebody, ODM party leadership will be stronger and more youths will definitely rally behind the union.
By choosing his successor, he will give himself time to breathe and attend to important duties including his role at the African Union as the special envoy of the infrastructural development.
Raila is still a good leader with pregnant support across Kenya and the world, but he can still contribute to social, political and economic development initiatives from other platforms. Consecutively, he can remain fully in politics, but act as an overseer and supervisor of politicians in his backyard and Kenya at large.
Indeed, it will be a major political milestone for Raila should he propose a politician to step in his shoes as the next political kingpin in Luo Nyanza.
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