Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader Raila Odinga’s relationship with former retired President Daniel Aram Moi has never been rosy as many could be thinking.
The two elderly politicians have had a share of their bad and controversial memories since their political careers.
The 1982 attempted coup kick-started the political confrontations between Odinga and Moi.
Odinga was among dozens of people who were arrested and charged with the botched coup.
The former Prime minster was implanted in the coup that was staged by a section of the Kenya Air force Personnel.
Raila was charged with capital offence of treason six weeks after his arrest and detention.
President Moi however saved Raila from the hangman noose in what people say was a result of the respect he had to his (Raila’s) father Jaramaogi Oginga Odinga.
There are arguments that it would have been looked badly if Odinga, the son of the county’s Vice President was to be hanged.
Moi instead sent Odinga to prison before dramatically releasing him in 1988.
Immediately after being released from detention, Odinga was part of the group of politician’s that demanded for repealing of section 2A of the constitution to allow for multi-parties.
Odinga with other politicians like Siaya senator James Orengo and Reverend Timothy Njoya pushed Moi’s government to the wall and in 1991 he finally agreed to appeal section 2A of the constitution to allow for multi-parties.
Moi had abolished multi-party system in 1982 to allow for one state party state that saw his KANU dominate.
In 1992, the country held its first general election under multi-party state that saw Moi re-elected.
Raila started a constitute reforms campaigns after Moi won the 1992 general election whose results had been contested leading to clashes in some parts of the country.
A section of the candidates had accused Moi of rigging the election.
In 1997, Raila was on the ballot battling out for the top seat with Moi winning the election on his KANU party ticket while Raila emerged third on his National development Party (NDP) behind Mwai Kibaki who was contesting on Democratic Party (DP).
After the 1997 general election, Raila dissolved his NDP party and joined Moi’s KANU party.
He would later serve as Minister in the Moi administration.
However as 2002 general election approached, Raila decamped from KANU and merged with other leaders to form the National Rainbow Alliance (NARC).
Raila decamped after Moi endorsed the now President Uhuru Kenyatta to contest for the seat in 2002.
The move angered Raila who saw Uhuru as Moi’s project.
Odinga alongside other politician’s like Mwai Kibaki, the late Kijana Wamalwa and charity Ngilu led campaigns to oust Moi’s government.
NARC endorsed Kibaki who went on to win the presidential election that is considered historic in the country’s history.
The 2002 political did not end Raila confrontations with Moi as he was to encounter with Uhuru in the 2013 general election.
Raila lost to Uhuru in 2013 five years after the disputed 20227 election which he says he was rigged by Mwai Kibaki.
The former prime Minster again lost in last year’s general election to Uhuru Kenyatta.
There are now claims that he is likely to contest again in the 2022 general election in what could be his last and final bid for the top seat.
On Thursday, Raila rekindled his political history and challenges when he met with Moi at his Kabarak home.
The two leaders discussed national unity and reconciliation matters.