Raila dictates to the Pentagon.

Finally, Ngilu has stopped her dithering (for the season) and found herself a seat in the ODM’s Pentagon, courtesy of Raila’s apparent forcefulness which has many times been given as an example of his dictatorial streak. Bizarrely, the man waved and danced along gleefully upon his entry into the meeting hall as the women belted out the infamous “tawala Kenya, tawala”.

The unimaginatively named Pentagon still appears at present to be an ‘exclusive’ club with no known structure or purpose. Other than of course, to hand its members constituency nomination tickets in a clearly undemocratic manner. Ngilu has therefore just gone through two successive back doors – no club fees to pay (1million) and no lobbying of party delegates for support.

The MoU with Ngilu probably sets out that in return for an ODM wave back to parliament, she’ll take the war of attrition to one Kalonzo Musyoka’s backyard. A tall order which Raila believes she’ll deliver on because “we were in government together”. Woe unto you agwambo should she succeed, for come January/February she’ll be throwing her infamous ‘tantrums’ demanding the vice-presidency. Should she fail, she’ll be vilifying you for your dictatorial streak as being behind any such debacle.

For now, Raila is not showing any signs of introducing inventive ways for preparing his party or the country to move to higher ground. Most certainly, recycling leaders whose usefulness lies in the romantic past is dubious.

Does agwambo believe in institution building and strengthening? Never mind that the pentagon itself is amorphous, were the other four privy to the Ngilu elevation? Not likely. What happened to the famed Raila tact? Could he not announce that “WE, the pentagon have agreed to incorporate” Ngilu?

We cannot hope to advance positively by relying only on his forcefulness to drive the country anywhere he deems fit.