Departed politician Jaramogi Odinga had only himself to blame for his inability to make it to the top post.
Picked as President Jomo Kenyatta's vice after the nation acquired self-rule in 1964, Oginga messed up his chances of democratically taking over the mantle from Kenyatta who was ageing anyway.
He should have stuck around and danced to Kenyatta's tune, provided that it did not have any negative impacts on the nation, as his fallout with the President in1966 was rather worthless.
The two disagreed over international relations, with Kenyatta opting to secure closer ties with the United States and the Western block while the vice preferred the Chinese, leading to wrangles that resulted to Oginga's resignation from both the post and the independence Kenya African National Union (KANU) party.
With both his plans for the nation and his political ambitions in mind, he should have just stuck around and tried to repair their relationship from within, as his exit was a miscalculation that narrowed his chances of becoming the head of state.
He was no longer the constitutionally automatic successor of Kenyatta, no longer enjoyed Kenyatta's cronies support and moved away from the government resources that would have been important for his takeover.
Ultimately landing on the opposing side, he was very wrong to think that he would bounce back in an election at a time when the government ruled in an almost dictatorial manner and was the one who decided who becomes President.
His desired slot ended up in retired President Daniel Moi's hands who was Kenyatta's deputy at the time of his death in 1978, meaning that Oginga would have taken the post had he been tolerant and patient.
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