Caleb Amisi:You will cry for Baba, but you won't see him

By Robert Mutasi 

Saboti Member of Parliament Caleb Amisi has elicited mixed reactions in the country by calling on Kenyans to forget their longtime politician, Raila Odinga. 

Amisi, while speaking during an event that addressed national leadership and the future of the country, had one striking message that has since elicited mixed reactions from different political factions.

"Raila has given up on you," Amisi said in his speech. "You are on your own. You will cry for Baba, but you won't see him." 

Raila, who for decades was a dominant force in Kenyan politics, is often seen as representative of opposition and reform.

It has shaped the political landscape for the last many years, and he was always looked upon by so many of his fellow people as a beacon of hope in struggle.

But Amisi's message insinuates it is about time Kenyans looked elsewhere.

He called upon the citizens to support a new crop of leaders who will make sacrifices for the greater good of the nation.

"Learn to support leaders who sacrifice for the good of the nation. That is how other countries are redeemed and saved from the yoke of despotic leadership," he added. 

It was apparently a marked underlining of a new leadership that places interests of the nation above those that promote themselves, a mantra gaining currency in these quarters as Kenyans look back at two decades of disputed elections and broken promises.

The call by Saboti legislator has stirred discussions on social media and among political commentators, with some agreeing that it is time for Kenya to grow a new set of leaders, while others still cling to the opinion that Raila's presence in politics is important to balance power. 

Notwithstanding the controversies around his remark, Caleb Amisi's message carried a broader debate on the future direction to be taken by Kenyan leadership.

It remains to be seen whether this call for change will actually sink deep into the citizen's minds and bring about a change in politics, or whether the legacy of veteran leaders such as Raila Odinga will persist and be given precedence in Kenyan politics in the foreseeable future.