Kenya's former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, is renown for his uncanny ability to out-manoeuvre his opponents, by always remaining a step ahead.
However, the ODM Party leader, in his autobiography Flame of Freedom, confessed to having had to face hostility from his entire family, following his decision to cosy up to his political opponents.
This was after the 1997 General Election, which retired President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi won under the controversial circumstances.
Raila (then leader of the National Development Party, NDP) surprised the entire nation when he decided not to contest the election results, but rather started warming up to the ruling party.
Private talks were held at Moi's Kabarak home, where the two ironed out a deal that saw NDP merge with KANU, with the late Mark Too (Moi's close aide) playing a key role in the dialogue.
As expected, this did not go down well with not only some of his party officials but his entire family, as well.
"I faced a hostile reaction from my entire family," Raila revealed.
The relationship within the family became so strained, that some of the members came out to publicly air their displeasure at the KANU-NDP merger.
His daughter Rosemary and her two brothers even called a press conference, during which they differed with their father's move to work with Moi.
However, Raila stuck to his guns, maintaining that his father, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, had once counselled him on the need to set aside hostilities for the good of the country.
The former Prime Minister's stint at KANU lasted until 2002, where a bitter fall-out erupted, following Moi's decision to ordain Uhuru Kenyatta as his preferred successor.
"The President is responsible for the split in Kanu because he has insisted on imposing his personal choice on Kenyans. He has a right to pick his choice but not to impose him on Kenyans," the former Lang'ata MP asserted back in October 2002.
