It's time for the wolves to go hunting.

They will not admit it, but the footsoldiers in the CORD army surely realise that their generals are way past their political prime. Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka look like an unhappily married couple forced to live in the same house "for the sake of the children." This blogger has previously defended Raila Odinga's right to remain in the political field. But this is not the United States. Politics here is not dependent on a stellar career, in and out of Parliament. It is dependent on proximity to the presidency. Simple as that.

Raila Odinga went as high as he was ever going to go. There have only been two Prime Ministers in the history of Kenya. One was Kenya's First President, the other was Raila Odinga. He is in stellar company. Kalonzo's achievements are no less impressive. He, unlike Raila Odinga, is no silver-spoon baby. Mr Musyoka worked for everything he has. he may have been sharp-elbowed now and then, but that is neither here nor there in the sharp-elbowed world of Kenyan politics. But in the here and now, you get the sense that their time in the sun is at an end, tragically prematurely so for Kalonzo Musyoka. The two have joined the VAT-Act-is-bad bandwagon rather reluctantly. They don't seem to have their hearts in the anti-VAT agitation. They are suffering from serious withdrawal symptoms. For men used to having their egos presidentially massaged, they are in uncharted waters.

It is time that even the intellectual heavyweights of CORD began the short but swift process of disengaging from national leadership. Peter Anyang' Nyong'o, James Orengo,  and Dalmas Otieno need to follow in their generals' footsteps and fall on their own swords too. It is time for the aggression of the new Young Turks to be unleashed. Pit bulls in the form of Agosthino Neto and Ababu Namwamba must be allowed free rein to savage the lunacies of their Jubilee bete noirs in Parliament and elsewhere. The fading lion in Raila Odinga must be confronted with the sad truth: he is over the hill. The diplomat in Kalonzo Musyoka must be confronted with an uncomfrotable truth: peace-makers are a shilling-a-dozen today; what the Minority party needs is a vicious attack dog that does not give two figs for diplomatic tack.

The opportunity to light a fire under Jubilee has arrived. Their No. 1 general is winging his way to The Hague. CORD is familiar with the fimbo-ya-mbali adage. It is time to take off the leash and allow the natural exuberant enthusiasm of Mr Neto, Mr Namwamba and Ms Millie Odhiambo to run riot. While Mr Duale is a capable politician, he is not a general in the mould of the wily Deputy President. With Jakoyo Midiwo harrying him all the way, Messrs Neto and Namwamba, and Ms Odhiambo should give him enough to do that he may not keep his erstwhile disciplined troops in line. Clearly, this strategy does not work if the CORD army is being micromanaged by two over the hill geezers bored in their semi-retirement. When the President eventually makes his way to Den Haag too, CORD must capitalise on the confusion they will have sown during the absence of the Deputy President. If they play it right, the Minority Party's tail will be wagging the Majority Party's dog. But then again, they have demonstrated such a dearth of imagination that they will still look to the former PM and former VP for guidance and fuck up any chance of taking the war to Jubilee in their hour of confusion.

If Raila Odinga wishes to see his and his father's work achieved, he must let go of the Opposition. He gave it three tries. A fourth is not going to gift him the Presidency. Kalonzo Musyoka placed his bets and ended up Aces-and-Eights. Unless he finds some stardust, his apparent reputation for water-melonness and fence-sitting puts paid to a third act. He is done. It is time for the hungry wolves to rise. It is the only thing that works for the Minority party and for the nation.