The silence by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga on the 2022 general election continues to spark off speculations across the country.

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Political analyst Prof Edward Kisiang'ani has waded into the debate, saying he believes the ODM boss will make a fifth attempt at the presidency in the next polls.

However, if he decides not to vie, Kisiang'ani claims, his supporters will force him to be on the ballot paper and campaign, to take over power from President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is serving his second and final term.

"I think Raila will be in the race in 2022. If he refuses to vie for President in 2022, his supporters will frog-march him to the IEBC offices to declare his candidature and later force him into the streets and villages to campaign! It will be a spectacle to behold! Wacha tu!" the university don tweeted on Saturday night.

Raila has been avoiding the succession debate and has repeatedly come out to dismiss media reports claiming he has declared to vie in the 2022 polls.

"Odinga believes that three years of dissecting poll numbers and forcing candidates into the race rather than focusing on real and urgent economic, political and social issues that the nation needs to deal with ahead of 2022 is reckless, irresponsible and cheap journalism," his spokesman Dennis Onyango said recently as quoted by the Star.

It has also been reported that Raila was not planning to vie, and together with Uhuru they were grooming Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i to run against Deputy President William Ruto, who has already declared his interest in the presidency.