After Kenya’s contentious 2017 general election, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga boycotted the Supreme Court-ordered repeat election, claiming his victory had been stolen by his then political erstwhile, President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He later announced plans to swear himself in as the “People’s President.”
For weeks, Odinga kept his supporters in suspense regarding the date and venue of the ceremony.
Initially scheduled for Jamhuri Day on December 12, 2017, the event was postponed after extensive consultations with national and international stakeholders.
Eventually, on January 30, 2018, at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Raila Odinga took the controversial oath, administered by lawyer Miguna Miguna, in front of thousands of supporters.
Notably, his National Super Alliance (NASA) co-principals—Musalia Mudavadi, Moses Wetang’ula, and Kalonzo Musyoka—were absent.
Magufuli Opposes the Swearing-in of Raila
In his book, Treason: The Case Against Tyrants & Renegades, Miguna Miguna reveals that Odinga considered several alternative locations for the swearing-in ceremony, including Kenyan embassies in Dar es Salaam and Ghana, due to fears of interference from the Jubilee government.
According to Miguna, Raila tasked James Orengo, who was Siaya Senator at the time, with approaching then-Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli, a close confidant, to discuss the possibility of holding the ceremony in Tanzania.
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However, Magufuli firmly rejected the idea, stating that leadership was “a gift from God,” and if Raila had not been granted that gift, there was no reason to pursue the swearing-in.
“According to Orengo, Magufuli believed that leadership was ‘a gift from God’ and that if God had not given Raila that gift, there was no reason to pursue our plans. Raila should forget about being sworn in as the People’s President,” reads an excerpt from the book.
Miguna interpreted Magufuli’s refusal as a belief that Raila was not destined to be Kenya’s president.
Behind the Scenes Discussions of the Swearing-in
Also in his book, Miguna recounts a crucial meeting on December 9, 2017, at the home of former Machakos Senator Johnston Muthama.
He spent nearly five hours drafting Odinga’s swearing-in speech and oath. Once Orengo and Muthama approved the speech, they proceeded to businessman Jimmy Wanjigi’s residence in Muthaiga, where Miguna later realized that the initial plan had been to hold the ceremony that very day.
At Wanjigi’s home, Odinga briefly stepped out to take a phone call. When he returned ten minutes later, he informed the group that NASA co-principals Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula had pushed for a postponement.
This decision angered Miguna, who was determined for the ceremony to take place on December 12, 2017.
Miguna’s Fallout with Raila
Following the swearing-in, Miguna, the self-proclaimed “General” of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), was arrested and deported twice to Canada for his role in the event.
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He later accused Raila Odinga of betraying him by shaking hands with President Uhuru Kenyatta during the famous March 9 2018, “Handshake.”
Miguna alleged that Odinga had conspired with Kenyatta to have him deported, further deepening their rift.
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