By The Weekly Vision Reporter
Nairobi’s Women Representative Esther Passaris last week proved to be a highly skilled politician at a public event in Kibra. The event was held in aid of flood victims and was graced by First Lady Rachel Ruto where political dynamics were at play leading to what some thought was a moment of embarrassment for the First Lady.
After the event, questions emerged as to what was the rationale behind the First Lady’s decision to travel to Kibra rather than going to other highly affected areas in Nairobi such as Mathare of Kahawa. Kibra is widely acknowledged as the epicentre of Nairobi politics and the event took place at a time when former area MP Raila Odinga was away in Dubai. This led many to say that the First Lady just wanted to capitalize on Mr Odinga’s absence for political gain.
When Ms Passaris took to the podium, she invoked Mr Odinga’s name while passing his greetings and sympathy to the victims. The mere mention of Raila’s name sent the crowd into a frenzy, leaving the first lady deeply embarrassed.
According to analysts, Ms Passaris was well aware of the First Lady’s political tactics, she strategically mentioned Odinga’s name to neutralize her political agenda. However, some in the ODM party believe that Ms Pasaris’ mention of Mr Odinga was merely a way of driving her point home since she is currently in a rift with some influential party leaders after she voted in favour of the contentious Finance Bill.
After voting for the Finance Bill 2023, she found herself suspended by the party only to be pardoned later after she expressed her remorse. Unfortunately for her, it seems that some ODM supporters in Nairobi have not yet pardoned her over the issue. In the past, Ms Passaris has experienced hecklings, and booing and was once even denied an opportunity to address her voters.
Understanding the importance of Kibra as Mr Odinga’s stronghold, Me Passaris seized the opportunity to gauge the public mood. The cheers from the crowd pointed to a major political comeback and an indication that she’s been fully accepted. Analysts assert that the First Lady appeared embarrassed when the crowd cheered her widely when she mentioned Mr Oding’s name. Mr Pasaris may also have been conveying a hidden message to Langata MP Felix Oduor, indicating that the area remains a stronghold for the ODM party and that if he fails to align himself with the party, he risks losing his parliamentary seat in the next elections since Langata constituency is essentially an extension of Kibra.
