Despite his contributions to independence, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was never in the books of Jomo Kenyatta succession in United Kingdom's government mandarins.
Although they had surrendered power to Jomo Kenyatta, the British government continued to influence Kenyan politics thanks Ron Mzee Kenyatta's sobriety.
During the early years of independence, the Britons believed that Jomo Kenyatta could not rule for long due to his failing health and advanced age.
Nobody knew exactly when he was born. Kenyatta himself, during his trial in 1952 on allegations of managing the Mau Mau, told the judge: “I do not know when I was born, what date, what month, or what year — but I think I am over 50.”
Thirteen years later, in a letter to the Royal Mint, he said his 75th birthday would be in 1966, meaning he was born in 1891.
But still, at that age, it would have been quite optimistic for one to expect his physical and mental state to enable him to retain power for so long.
A secret telegram whose origin was later established as Tom Mboya, then minister for planning, indicated that Mzee Kenyatta was about to resign in 1965.
According to the telegram, he had already informed Dr Apollo Milton Obote of Uganda and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of Tanzania about his intentions on August 20, 1965, and the matter was to be discussed further at a meeting that was to be held on August 31 of the same year.
After this meeting, Kenyatta was to issue a statement saying that in view of his age, he would be retiring to Gatundu, leaving the work of the Presidency to be handled by his nephew, the Minister for Internal Security and Defence, Dr Njoroge Mungai, assisted by Mr Ronald Ngala and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga as joint vice presidents.
Part of a paper titled “After Kenyatta Who?” which was produced as a result of the study, read: “The removal of Kenyatta’s control over the Kenya Government poses dangers to the British and the Western positions. There may be a reduction of British influence, the reduction of British expatriates and the growth of communism.
”It went on: “It is worth noting that both Odinga and Kaggia are not 100 per cent fit. Odinga suffers from diabetes, Kaggia from ulcers.”
By 1965, Jaramogi was already struggling with diabetes which the British thought that would not allow him to govern with soberness. They believed that the condition will led him to making impaired judgments.
Also, Odinga's links to Soviet Union was another controversial aspect of him. He was considered as a socialist and a sympathiser of Russians who were in competition with the West.
With his strong ties to Moscow, Oginga was treated as a spy by the British government thus the spirited fight to tame him. They often used Tom Mboya to launch onslaught against him.
But the former doyen of opposition politics would quit government a year later. He spent much of his life fighting for democracy. He died in 1994 having finished fourth in 1992 polls.