He Reigned But Never Ruled Poem by Aloo Denish Obiero

Three decades and more, he transformed Kenyan politics and governance.
His name and image dominated the front pages of magazines and newspapers.
His actions were the headlines of every television and radio bulletin.
His speeches reverberated across all social media platforms.
He was on the lips of every citizen—
in barazas, farms, marketplaces, offices, and fields.

He fought for the Second Liberation:
freedom of speech, expression, and association.
He fought for multiparty democracy, against the one-party state.
He midwifed a new Constitution and engineered devolution.

All these he did—
not while seated on a throne.
No—
he was anguishing in Nyayo torture chambers.
He endured detention without trial,
nine years of isolation from family and friends.
He lived in exile, in foreign lands far beyond our continent.

He was in the streets,
borne by mammoth crowds never seen before.
He was in Parliament, with the support of like-minded leaders.
He sometimes lingered near corridors of power and negotiation tables,
brokering selfless deals for the sake of his country.

He felled tyrannical leadership, yet did not assume power.
He reconciled and forgave through historic handshakes,
yet never tasted the throne.
He was praised while fighting corruption,
defending citizens,
and exposing government scandals—
yet denied the chance
to implement the very ideals he championed.

When Kenya needed him, she USED him.
When Kenya needed him MOST,
she MISUSED him.

Henceforth, if a poet, scientist, or leader
be granted permission
to offer but a fragment of counsel,
I would dedicate a stanza to this legend:

'Oh Sun of Africa,
Play the fool—offer no alternative governance anymore,
against this new government.
Drop opposition politics like a burning coal.
Never again satisfy their endless hunger
for fighting, mocking, defeating, and spitting upon you.

If they do their worst, rebuke them not.
If they do their best, applaud them not.
Let them, if they choose,
milk the people dry and advance their decrees of iron.
Till one day, through lived experience,
the people may learn
the necessity of supporting a true patriot.

Exit the stage, O finest dancer,
at the height of frenzy.
Retreat to your abode at Opoda Farm,
to the White House of the People on Riat Hills.

Rest with the wife with whom you have grown old.
Gather your grandchildren around the duol,
the ancestral bonfire.
Tell them African tales,
stories of the world before,
prophecies of the world after.

Eat honey, drink milk, munch fruits,
as in your dreamland, Canaan—
for you have lived,
you have loved,
you have learned,
and you have left a legacy.'

Raila Amolo Odinga—
Agwambo, the enigma of Kenyan politics.
The mover of masses,
the darling of the people.
The king that never was.
The president outside State House.
The People's President—

he reigned, but never ruled.