Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is going all in for the youth vote.
In recent weeks, he seems to have determined that his key to the state house lies in him convincing young people that their interests are better served with him as president.
This is perhaps a rejoinder to Deputy President William Ruto stealing all the youth thunder, with a wheelbarrow message that, despite being ridiculed on the national stage, seemed to resonate very well on the ground.
Indeed, recent byelection victories by Ruto-backed candidates have heavily been driven by the youth vote.
Part of Raila’s makeover has been employing new tactics on social media. His Twitter account for example is now obviously handled by a young man who understands the youth’s language. While it oftentimes comes out as cringe, it is the thought that matters.
Here are a few examples.
To the youth, I've heard and listened to you across the nation.
Sita walet down. I promise a better Kenya for you.
Kutoka free laptops, stadiums, jobs… mlibebwa ndogo!
Kuweni rada msibebwe mafala tena.#RadaNiRao #OneLove #Inawezekana pic.twitter.com/Ptw1saKx5U
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) October 10, 2021
Mabeshte wa Nyahururu asanteni kwa kutokelezea kwa wingi, niwewaskia.
Tutasonga Mbele Pamoja. Nītūgūcoka rīngī! #RadaNiRao #OneLove #Inawezekana pic.twitter.com/spCt97Phqw
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) October 10, 2021
Checked into Bungoma.
Hapa ni Love tupu!
Asante #OneLove #Inawezekana pic.twitter.com/cwL1CBR8d0
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) October 2, 2021
Now on Tuesday, Raila took it a step further by turning out in public in some cool looking white and blue Air Jordan’s. “BABA’s house will have many rooms; I have reserved the biggest one for our YOUTH. Hii si risto. INAWEZEKANA.” he wrote.
BABA’s house will have many rooms; I have reserved the biggest one for our YOUTH.
Hii si risto. INAWEZEKANA. #OneLove #Inawezekana.
Kenya mpya INAEZA. pic.twitter.com/XZN92ca2Hq— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) October 12, 2021
He then revealed that the sneakers were a gift from two young men, Ali and Hillary. The former PM posted a link to their Instagram page.
Once Baba posted that photo, there was speculation as to how much the shoe actually costs.
The sneaker in question is a Nike X Off-White, Air Jordan Retro. It is a rare one, which led many to speculate that it is a very expensive shoe.
Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi posted a Tweet that put the price at over Sh400,000.
@WehliyeMohamed …my day was good…ALHAMDULILAH…But baba bet me 10: ZERO…at Kshs 419,467…even that is kidogo above my budget! pic.twitter.com/1eSRPx7js9
— Ahmednasir Abdullahi SC (@ahmednasirlaw) October 12, 2021
We also found the same shoe being sold online for over Sh250,000.
However, Kenya is a hotbed of knock-offs, and since we cannot hold it on our hands to inspect it, we can only use clues.
From the Instagram linked by Raila on his Tweet, we find out that the young man who gifted him the shoe founded and runs an apparel business, by the name Thrift_trendy.
They seem to deal mostly in men sneakers, and although we could not find the exact one gifted to Raila, we can deduce the price based on their other listings. As you would probably expect, they don’t have Sh400,000 shoes in their catalog.
Actually, it seems the standard price for all their Jordan’s is Sh4500.
And yes, if you are wondering, that’s a knock-off. While the quality might still be good, an original Jordan will set you back about Sh15,000.
So, while there is a possibility that Raila got the real deal, it is a very slim one. And that’s probably a good thing. You don’t want to be walking around wearing the equivalent of a small car, while preaching to people who can barely afford lunch.
