Guest blog post. Writer: Anonymous
The bull has always been a symbol of the Odingas. In 1969, Mzee Kenyatta went to Kisumu to open a hospital, he was met with hostile chants of ‘Dume! Dume! Dume! This was the symbol of Jaramogi’s party-Kenya People’s Union. As expected, the Presidential limousine was pelted with stones in exchange for the bullets; quite an expensive barter trade. Dume is a Luo term for a bull and Raila’s political career is similar to that of an ox and this is why.
Bulls. From a religious point, during the times of Moses (and the young Joshua), bulls were offered as sacrifices for the atonement of sin. Precisely, Exodus 29 prescribed the vigorous process of consecrating priests. Verse 1 instructs that: This is what you are to do to consecrate them, so they may serve me as priests: take a young bull and two rams without defect. Further, in verse 39 commands Moses: sacrifice a bull each day as a sin offering to make atonement. Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate it.
My knowledge on Bulls must be limited considering my surname is not Khalwale. Therefore I will borrow the characteristics of bulls and the attaching symbolism from an article titled: Bull Symbolism. Two paragraphs will help.
“…Bull symbol stands for strong will, an uncompromising nature, and even belligerence. Due to its unbending, stubborn personality traits, we get the term “bull-headed.”
The article further states, “In ancient cultures such as Sumerian and Semitic cults the bull is a common symbol of protection and guardianship… the sign of the ox or bull is symbolic of perseverance, determination, stability and longsuffering.”
My pen shall not rewrite history. Raila was incarcerated after the aborted 1982 coup attempt-reasons notwithstanding. Some say he faced hell, yet some affirm he was on special diet during those moments. I will not judge. But his horns started showing then.
Then came the duel for Ford Kenya steering wheel. The stage was set. On one hand was the lion-Kijana Wamalwa who roared a firestorm of the queen’s tongue and on the other was Amollo. Though Raila lost to the son of Mulembe house, he left the Ford-Kenya field for further training.
However, immediately after the 1997 general elections, Raila was a bull to be tamed. It began by the NDP/KANU merger. Remember it is during this period that Raila acquired the Molasses Plant in Kisumu. In 2001, the then Commissioner of Lands, S.S.K. Mwaita, illegally allocated the 112 hectares of the land meant for the corporation to a private company for Ksh.3.7 Million or Ksh. 33,000 per hectare. That company is Raila Odinga’s Spectre International Limited. This was the first step of dehorning raila the Bull.
However, Nyayo did not succeed in taming Raila despite the goodies. Actually, he revolted and joined anti-KANU forces. After formation of NARC government, he was able to use his gigantic powers to acquire title to land on which Molasses stood. Moi had held on this as a carrot. Shortly after, Raila the bull could not be contained. He rose and rose.
Now in 2017, the Bull is still around. Do you remember who was shouting most about the Kibaki era Anglo-leasing scandal? For your information Anglo-Leasing was masterminded by little known, yet dangerous, Kenyans. Getonga, Perera, Kamani and importantly Jimmy Wanjigi.
For starters Jimmy Wanjigi is the oil in Raila Odinga’s 2017 presidential campaign in charge of Resource Mobilization.
Back to our story, in all cultures that used the bull as a beast of burden, in order for the bull to be effective in serving its master in ploughing, the bull’s attention had to be diverted from reproduction activities. The bull had to be castrated!
Now Raila Odinga’s balls are at the mercy of the Anglo-leasing Cartels. If Jimmy commands, ‘Raila jump!’ Raila Odinga will not ask why, he only turns around, faces the holder of his balls and asks, “Jimmy, how high, Jakom!”
Yes, Raila Odinga is a bull; a castrated one at the service of Jimmy Wanjigi!