A storm erupted at an ODM plenary session, after Cord affiliate parties were divided into discussion groups, when Raila’s aide Eliud Owalo and Homa Bay County Senator Otieno Kajwang told Namwamba to his face that he is Jubilee spy. He is a candidate for the secretary general’s position in the February 28 elections, but he and other MPs have been complaining of being pressurised to step down in favour of pre-determined candidates.
Kajwang and Owalo engaged Namwamba in a bitter confrontation that almost ended in blows at The Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha. Trouble started when Namwamba who is seeking to succeed Kisumu County Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o told ODM senators and MPs that the two close allies of Raila (Kajwang and Owalo) were behind a smear campaign targeting him and asked them to apologise unconditionally for branding him a Jubilee mole.
With no apology forthcoming, Namwamba stormed out of the ODM group and left the hotel in a huff, but Nyong’o later told the press the MP had excused himself to travel to Mombasa for a meeting with Coast delegates. However, before he left, Namwamba told The People he had raised major issues at the meeting concerning the party elections slated for Kasarani. He said he had sought the assurance of the party that the elections would be conducted in a free, fair and democratic manner.
But later, Owalo sensationally claimed Namwamba had struck a deal to vie for a key position in United Republican Party of Deputy President William Ruto. “He accused me of being part of a group of people calling him a Jubilee mole and I am here to confirm that he is indeed a mole. He is not in ODM,” Owalo said. Owalo said ODM could invoke the Political Parties Act to block Namwamba from vying for any party seat, claiming the MP had been on the verge of quitting ODM and only resurfaced a few weeks ago, warning they could use legal means to block him.
“He just came back to ODM after striking a deal with Jubilee and he wants to vie, then mortgage our party,” Owalo said. He added: “He should wait for URP elections to vie for the deputy leader position, but not in ODM. It is high time we invoked the Political Parties Act to strike him out.” ‘Young Turks’ in ODM, mainly from South Nyanza, have been up in arms against a push spearheaded by Kajwang and other allies of Raila to line up candidates from various parts of the country instead of exclusive names from the party’s bedrock.
Earlier, Cord principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetangula had called for sweeping changes to the electoral system ahead of the next general election. Speaking at the close of the two-day Cord parliamentary group meeting, the three called for the disbanding of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as presently constituted.
“Radical electoral reforms, including the setting up of a new, credible electoral commission must be undertaken as part of addressing the deficiencies in the Constitution, in a national dialogue to be held as soon as proper arrangements are put in place,” the trio said in a signed statement read by ODM nominated Member of Parliament Isaac Mwaura. Some 135 Cord MPs and Senators attended the strategy meeting where the three leaders sought to quell simmering tension over coalition leadership that has been witnessed in the last few weeks.
Several Ukambani MPs have been warning Musyoka, the Wiper leader, not to play second fiddle to Raila in the coalition come 2017. The communique stated only through electoral reforms would Kenya hold free and fair elections in 2017. The coalition made it categorical it would be pushing for the restructuring of IEBC as part of its plans to ensure it has a fair chance at clinching power in the next polls.The Cord principals said the coalition MPs would continue to play their role in Parliament to keep the government on its toes and safeguard devolution.
“We will keep our flock together because we have strategies and mechanism to do that… we feel rejuvenated,” Wetangula who is the Bungoma senator said.At the same time, Cord took issue with the manner in which the government has handled the war against terrorism, especially in Mombasa which saw deadly riots last week. Other issues of national interest that the Cord PG meeting dealt with include famine ravaging Turkana, Baringo, Pokot and some coastal parts.
- The People
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