By Anderson Ojwang
The much-hyped last Sunday Kisumu Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rally, meant to make a statement to the splinter group Linda Mwananchi, has turned out to have been a rented and branded crowd.
Unlike the Linda Mwananchi rally, which was organic and successful despite attempts to disrupt it by goons and local leaders, last Sunday’s Linda Ground meeting told a different story.
The three weeks of planning and strategic meetings for the rally in the once bedrock of ODM and its founder, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, only culminated in renting and branding the crowd for a show of might and making a statement.
And yesterday, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga claimed the rally was attended by 115,000 people and showed the might of the party in the region.
“We held one of the biggest rallies in Kisumu. We used drones to count the people, and we came up with 115,000. ODM is strong, and we have resolved to remain united and to be in the broad-based government,” she said.
But Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda has opened the lid to the inside story of how the party leadership used millions to ferry people to the rally.
Ojienda said Members of County Assembly from Kisumu were each given Sh100,000, while the MPs were given between Sh500,000 and Sh600,000 for the same purpose.
For instance, Kisumu County Assembly has 42 MCAs, which translates to Sh4.2 million, while there are seven constituencies; at Sh600,000 each, that comes to Sh4.2 million, totalling Sh8.4 million.
Apart from Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay and Siaya were also expected to bring people to the rally, and all were bankrolled for the meeting, running into millions of shillings.
This was just the first avenue through which funds were channeled, including the county party office and the sub-branches.
Ojienda said: “I was never given a cent. But I know so well that the MCAs were given Sh100,000 each to bring people to the meeting. I know the MPs were given, I think, between Sh500,000 and Sh600,000 to bring people to the rally.”
The ODM party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, in a recent interview with a local TV station, said the government had released Sh200 million for their operations.
The Sh200 million has also brought differences in the Linda Ground faction over its usage and threatens to divide it further after Linda Mwananchi of James Orengo, Babu Owino and Edwin Sifuna bolted out.
Ojienda also heard that each ward was given Sh700,000, and there was a problem in North Nyakach, where some officials were accused of disappearing with Sh700,000.
“There should be accountability in the party over the funds disbursed to enable the party to be built. I don’t think there is a problem over the usage of Sh200 million,” he said.
He said ODM gave out facilitation for the rally because the party seems to be in a strong and sound financial standing.
Ojienda said there were people mobilised from Kisumu, Siaya, Migori and Homa Bay, and the party had to mobilise.
“There were tractors from Muhoroni. There were 18 buses from Muhoroni which brought people to the rally. The party wanted to give everyone an opportunity to attend the meeting,” he said.
Ojienda said from Muhoroni, Wanga’s younger brother Robert Nyasuna ferried several people in trucks and lorries, while Migori Governor Ochillo Ayacko had buses and tractors ferrying people to the rally.
“From Homa Bay, Governor Wanga also brought hundreds of people, and the same from Siaya. This was a meeting meant to show Luo unity,” he said.
Nyong’o’s message
Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, who for the first time attended the Oburu Oginga-led faction, told the team that ODM was not a Luo party and they should not make the party a tribal one.
“Finally, one fact is clear: the future of ODM will not be decided only in Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, or Migori. It will be shaped in every corner of Kenya where citizens still believe in justice, equality, and democratic change. That is the movement. That is the mission, and that is the legacy worth defending,” he said.
Nyong’o said ODM was never formed to be permanently in government or in opposition, but to defend the dignity and rights of the people.
“As a matter of fact, ODM was never created to be permanently in government or permanently in opposition. The party was created to defend the rights, dignity and aspirations of the people. Basically, no individual can inherit Raila. Leadership is not transferred; it is earned through service, conviction and sacrifice,” he said.
Orengo, before the split, had warned that there was a scheme meant to devalue the party from a national outfit and regionalise it as a Nyanza party.
Orengo said that while other ODM strongholds have remained quiet, the civil war was being waged in Nyanza and specifically by the Luo.
“I see an attempt to drive ODM to become purely regional, and if not a Luo party. The elements of the party from other regions are fairly quiet when we have this civil war within the party,” he said.
Orengo, in a TV interview, said then that the move was meant to muzzle ODM and make it a small or marginal party in a probable alliance with UDA or Kenya Kwanza.
“When you do that analysis and when we choose to work with Kenya Kwanza or UDA, most likely ODM is going to be a small party if they push that into Luo Nyanza basically. We must be very conscious of that effort, and you can see some pronouncements which make ODM look like a regional party, but it is a national party,” he said.
Orengo warned that if the party leaders were not careful, they may be driven in that direction of ODM becoming a regional party.
