History tell us : In 1960, during Kenya’s final years under British colonial rule. Colonizers invited Jaramogi Odinga Odinga to lead Kenya as the country’s first Prime Minister while Jomo Kenyatta remained in detention and he declined. He reportedly told the colonial masters that Kenyatta, despite his imprisonment, was the chosen leader of the Kenyan people and that any attempt to sideline him would not be acceptable.
In my view, Jaramogi was wise enough not to be tagged a traitor by Kenyatta’s political constituency and hence was appeasement to old man so that he be his ‘John the Baptist’ to link him to his [Kenyatta] kinsmen. And it almost worked when Kenyatta appointed his first vice-president but Cold War vagaries spoilt the party.
Just Jaramogi, Kisii Governor Simba Arati while speaking in Ogembo, Kisii County, on Sunday, January 25, 2026, during Orange Democratic Movement [ODM] grassroot meeting. The ODM deputy leader Simba Arati revealed he was supposed to take over party leadership following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. He, however, noted that despite being poised to take over the party, he declined and instead proposed Raila’s older brother Oburu Odinga. According to Arati, such an arrangement would place ODM on a cause to grab eventually power.
Likewise, Simba Arati, in my same view is anticipating Jaramogi’s senior son Oburu Odinga to be his ‘John the Baptist’ to link him to the late Raila Odinga political bedroom.