The deep state could have easily handed power to Raila Odinga, but he refused. Why? Because he wanted to be elected democratically; he believed in democracy.
While democracy is a valuable system, it can sometimes lead to the election of incompetent leaders. Often, the deep state imposes leaders in good faith, particularly when they recognize that a populist candidate is likely to fail the citizens. The deep state, which consists of those in power, aims to leave the country in capable hands, leaders who will protect citizens and safeguard their assets or legacy, if they have one.
Raila had been denied the presidency multiple times by the deep state. Does this suggest that he was an incompetent leader? Not at all. Throughout his campaigns, Raila had consistently expressed his intention to seize corrupt wealth and return it to the rightful owners: the citizens of the Republic of Kenya. This stance has led to what some refer to as “Raila Phobia” among the establishment.
After the 2022 elections, we celebrated what we believed was a victory over the deep state. But did we truly make the right choice? Did the deep state mean well, and did we reject their intentions? That is for you to decide. However, one thing I am confident about is that Ruto is unlikely to be a failed populist.
