Dear Mr Raila Amolo Odinga,

Greetings to you Jaduong’. Greetings from the Man in the Streets. How are you doing? I sincerely hope you are doing great as you prepare for the looming showdown at Uhuru Park this coming Wednesday. This is an open letter to you sir.

I wrote a similar letter to your friend, President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta, but from the way he has been behaving, it seems he never bothered to read the letter.

Am writing this letter to you also, armed with some false hope that you will not be like your friend but find some little time and read it and contemplate on its contents. It is for your own good and for the good of this great nation.

First, allow me sir to convey greetings from the people in the streets. They wish you well but most of them told me what I should write in this letter. In fact, they are here with me as am writing this letter.

Mr Odinga, for the last three Mondays, you have been leading demonstrations across the country against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Most Kenyans support you for that. They support you in demanding for change. The only thing they are not agreeing with you is the manner in which the demonstrations are being done. Some of your foot soldiers, during the second Monday of demonstrations, turned into thieves, looters and goons who terrorized innocent businessmen and women. People were injured and property worth hundreds of thousands destroyed and stolen. Of course the police contributed more than 90 percent of all the injuries witnessed.

Am sure that deep within you care deeply about the economy of this nation. Do you still remember the 2007 Post Election Violence?  Am sure you do. Am sure you also remember how Kenya was reduced to ashes. The economy of Kenya was literally brought to its knees during that time. More than 1000 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands others displaced. Some are actually still living in Internally Displaced Persons’ camps despite the PR display of the government that all camps have been closed down. Investors abandoned Kenya and we were left all alone.

Read: Dear Mr President,

Do you know what brought all that? Politics. Political pride is what left Kenya bleeding during the 2007 elections. By then you were leader of Orange Democratic Movement (you are still the leader) and a presidential candidate. People believed in you then and most still do. I don’t want to go into the details of 2007 because even Samuel Kivuitu himself was not sure who won the elections that time.

Mr Odinga, the same drums of war of 2007 have started beating and Kenyans are scared to the root. The most unfortunate thing is that you are the one beating those drums and the Jubilee administration is helping in increasing the crescendo.

Investors are contemplating of leaving the country before the next General Elections and those who were planning to come have postponed their plans. They are still weighing the political situation in the country.

Am telling you all this because I know you. I know you have the power and the ability to make a difference. You are able and capable of bringing the change that Kenya needs.

Mr Odinga, you can be the voice of reason in saving this country from going back to the dogs. As you can see, your friend, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his ambitious foot soldiers have maintained that they will only talk to you if your demands will fall within the law and that includes your people presenting a petition to parliament. In other words, they are making you look like an enemy of the Constitution of Kenya, the same constitution you fought for and I can assure you they are good at it. On the other, you and your foot soldiers have maintained your stand and now Kenya is at a political standstill.

Allow me sir to remind you of article 251 of the Constitution of Kenya. The article stipulates the grounds on which a commissioner holding a constitutional office can be removed from office. I know Jubilee has the numbers, but why can’t you try so that if it fails, you then advocate for other channels? Let not the tyranny of numbers lead you to shaming the very constitution that you fought for. Give it a try. It does not hurt. At the moment, both you and Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta are proud and one of you has to come down.

Think of Kenya, our motherland. Think of the future of this nation. Think of the economy of this country. We are now at position eight in Africa as the richest country. Can we afford to let that go down the drainage?  Of course not.

The man on the street is watching. Kenyans are not as stupid as they used to be. They are keenly watching and they know exactly who is on the wrong. Am not saying you are the one but am saying that Kenyans are watching.

Allow me to end here sir. Please find some time and read this letter or let one of your learned lawyers read it on your behalf and let you know. Remember, you can make a difference. You are able and capable.

Yours faithfully,

The Man in the Streets.