Raila Amolo Odinga

Above all he is unpredictable and indefatigable: that is how an old associate sums up Raila Amolo Odinga...

After brief stints as a university lecturer in engineering and in the civil service Raila set out to overthrow Daniel arap Moi's government; his sympathetic biographer Babafemi Badejo ('Raila Odinga: An Enigma in Kenya Politics') tells of his commanding role in the abortive military coup of 1 August 1982 when over 100 people died in Nairobi alone...

The undoubted front-runner in the ODM presidential primaries is Raila Odinga seen as leader of the Luo people...

At the 2002 elections electors voted out the established Kenya African National Union (KANU) in favour of the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) a shaky alliance which fell apart as relations soured between its incompatible leaders President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga...

WEMBLEY WASHOUT The only orator to turn up at the Oaking Manor School Auditorium in Wembley was Raila Amolo Odinga (Luo) easily the most ambitious of ODM's would-be presidents...

The Secretariat was run on voluntary contributions from ODM members of parliament whose remittances dried up once Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka's allies (Mutula Kilonzo David Musila) and others began complaining that Peter Anyang' Nyong'o and his team (Omingo Magara and Janet Ongera) had turned the party into a Trojan horse for Raila Amolo Odinga...

Until this month Raila Amolo Odinga's presidential plans were progressing well...

President Mwai Kibaki and his National Alliance Rainbow Coalition are still favourites to win December’s general elections against the largest opposition grouping the broad-based Orange Democratic Movement led by Raila Amolo Odinga...

The other main opposition figures are Raila Odinga (Luo 14%) Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (Kikuyu 5%) and William Ruto (Kalenjin 3%)...

'What he (Kibaki) has brought is not a lion ' ODM leader Raila Amolo Odinga shouted referring to Kibaki's new alliance with former President Daniel arap Moi...

THE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNERS NAME PARTY SUPPORT BASE CHANCES Mwai Kibaki NARC-Kenya Central Province (Nyeri and environs national alliances through party network) Favourite helped by incumbency Kalonzo Musyoka ODM Ukambani Eastern Province Second favourite liked across Kenya but criticised as lightweight Raila Odinga ODM Luo Nyanza the most loyal but not biggest base Joint third favourite criticised for autocratic style Uhuru Kenyatta KANU Central Province and youth vote Joint third favourite came second in 2002 Musalia Mudavadi ODM Maragoli Western Province Strong compromise candidate William Ruto ODM Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Powerful vote-getter lacks national support Najib Balala ODM Coast Province and Muslim vote Popular but untried in senior jobs Julia Ojiambo ODM Samia Western Province and women Too junior in hierarchy Nicholas Biwott KANU Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Too unpopular to make a serious run ...

Many Kenyans now believe that Kibaki's government is at least as corrupt as that of his predecessor Daniel arap Moi even if they are unsure that voting for an opposition alliance such as the Orange Democratic Movement under Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka would cut graft more effectively...

However on 12 October Oburu Odinga the Bondo MP brother of Raila Odinga and Chairman of Parliament's Finance Planning and Trade Committee called for Charterhouse to be reopened and allowed to operate normally...

The former Public Works Minister and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Raila Amolo Odinga accused Kibaki and his allies of betraying the memorandum of understanding which brought the constituent parties together to defeat Daniel Toroitich arap Moi's Kenya African National Union (KANU) in December 2002...

NARC-Kenya grew from the ashes of Kibaki's defeat in the November 2005 referendum by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) which brings together KANU under Uhuru Kenyatta and the LDP under Raila Odinga...

Uhuru Kenyatta and ex-President Daniel arap Moi campaigned for KANU's David Manyara who came in last; Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka set aside their differences to support the LDP's Michael Brawan who came a creditable second...