The Baba Effect! A Few Dump Raila Odinga And Succeed In Their Political Endeavors. These Are The 6 Top Cream Politicians Who Ditched Baba And Ended Up Loosing Their Grip in Politics (Photos)

Raila Odinga has been dubbed the enigma of Kenyan politics as his political moves are unfathomable to many. The few that are in his inner circle benefit politically but when you dare leave him, then you are doomed to fail.

The tale of ‘mganga hajigangi’ works perfectly on Raila Odinga; whoever gets his political blessings succeeds but he himself doesn’t seem to have the charm to achieve self actualization, which for him is the presidency.

Raila has had three shots on the country’s top seat which has only become a mirage for him having lost the golden opportunity in 2007 when the meatball was plucked from his mouth just when he was about to swallow it.

Raila’s mishaps aside, the Luo kingpin has a gift of ‘blessing’ and ‘cursing’ politicians. Not many have ditched him and succeeded in their political endeavors.

Below are some of the politicians who became irreverent in politics when they ditched Baba;

1. Musalia Mudavadi

His association with Raila began when Baba joined Moi’s government which Mudavadi was part of. Raila ditched Moi and together with other opposing voices formed National Rainbow Coalition that toppled the independence party.

Mudavadi refused to join Raila and other rebels as Moi tricked him with a Vice President slot which he held for only three months making him the shortest serving VP in Kenya.

He subsequently lost his parliamentary seat in 2002 elections. Mudavadi joined Raila in 2007 and got a Deputy Prime Minister slot which he served for 5 years.

He turned down Raila’s offer to support him in 2017 elections and took a shot on the presidency which he lost becoming third.

Currently Mudavadi is irrelevant in politics as only Jubilee and Cord dominates the scene, Mudavadi’s Amani Coalition has lost clout.

2. Najib Balala

He stuck with Raila since 2002 in National Rainbow Coalition and even ditched his ministerial post alongside Raila when President Kibaki refused to honor a pre-election memorandum of understanding (MoU) which they had signed before 2002 general election.

He got back his ministerial post in 2008 in Raila-Kibaki coalition government serving as Tourism Minister till March 2012.

Balala ditched Raila in 2012 and formed his party, the Republican Congress Party of Kenya which was his vehicle of choice to vie for Mvita Parliamentary seat.

Balala lost his parliamentary seat to ODM’s Abdulswamad Shariff Nass. But Uhuru appointed Balala as a Cabinet Secretary in his government, a post that forfeits Balala from engaging in active politics.

3. James Orengo

He refused to join Raila’s camp in running for 2002 general election and instead opted to vie for presidency.

Orengo lost both the presidency and his Ugenya parliamentary seat in 2002 general elections. He became irreverent until 2007.

Orengo learnt his lesson and in 2007 he ditched his party Social Democratic Party (SDP) to vie for Ugenya parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket and won convincingly.

4. Charity Ngilu

She was in the same camp with Raila when Baba said ‘Kibaki Tosha’ in 2002. Ngilu supported Raila in 2007 general elections but changed her mind in 2013.

She lost her Kitui Central parliamentary seat in the aftermath of the general elections and sought redemption in Uhuru’s government where she was appointed Lands CS.

Uhuru sacked her last year after she was implicated in corrupt practices in her ministry. She has since being associated with Cord.

5. Raphael Tuju

He was elected MP for Rarieda constituency from 2002 to 2007 on an LDP ticket. LDP was part of National Rainbow Coalition, the most popular political outfit at the time.

Tuju fell out with Raila and formed his political party Progressive People’s Party (PPP) prior to 2015 referendum to challenge Raila’s ‘No’ campaign.

But opposing Raila in Luo Nyanza is like trying to fly to the moon in a KDF chopper; Raphael Tuju’s political career DIED completely when he made Raila his enemy as he lost his Rarieda parliamentary seat in 2007 general election, and has never had a comeback again.

6. Moody Awori

He stood with Raila in National Rainbow Coalition to dislodge KANU from power and benefited handsomely in the subsequent government where he was appointed a cabinet minister in 2003.

Moody became Vice President the same year following the death of then Vice President Michael Kijana Wamalwa.

He refused to decamp with Raila to form ODM when Kibaki defaulted on 2003 pre-election MoU, a move that ended his political career.

Moody retired from politics after he was humiliated by ODM’s Paul Otuoma who won the Funyula parliamentary election in 2007 by a landslide.