Episode notes
The Long Embrace That Never Came: Why Raila’s Allegiance to Ruto Won’t Resonate with Kenyans
Whispers filled the air. Photos surfaced. Smiles exchanged. Raila Odinga and William Ruto, once bitter political enemies, stood side by side—not as adversaries, but with an air of forced camaraderie. Kenyans, however, were far from convinced. This wasn’t a new spectacle. They had seen it before. They recalled 2018 and how it ended.
For the millions standing in long queues for unga, waiting in endless lines at NHIF offices, and desperately seeking extensions from landlords, the handshake seemed like nothing more than political theater. A performance with no real substance. The same promises that had failed them before were being recycled. These deals—no matter how glossy—wouldn’t feed them. Not then, not now.