In his book The Flame of Freedom, Former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga outlines that there is love lost between him and Uganda President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Raila and Museveni were great friends during the regime of retired President Daniel Arap Moi.
Museveni helped Raila escape to Norway at the height of the brutal crackdown of democracy advocates during the reign of Mzee Moi.
Museveni felt Raila was the man to lead this nation to prosperity. However, when it came to Raila’s turn to rise to power, Museveni changed his tune.
A communications scholar at the University of Nairobi, Dr Dismas Mokua is recorded saying Museveni was scared that Raila was likely to unite Luo in Kenya with those in Uganda to become a threat to his government.
He has no choice but to ensure he doesn’t rise to power because he knew him very well and he could not afford to support someone who was bound to weaken him in any way.
“It can only be a matter of convenience but not out of conviction for Museveni to work with Uhuru. But Museveni might look at Raila as a leader who might attempt to forge an alliance with the Luo community in Uganda,” he argued.
Raila is also said to have asked Museveni to go back to Uganda when he wanted to be part of the mediation process following the dispute after the 2007 general election.