By Anderson Ojwang
Even before the dust over last weekend’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) rally in Kisumu has settled, questions have emerged over the Sh100,000 meant for each Member of the County Assembly (MCA) from the four counties of Nyanza.
Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda stoked the fire after he claimed that the party had set aside Sh100,000 for each MCA and between Sh500,000 and Sh600,000 for each Member of Parliament for mobilisation.
On Thursday, during a TV interview, a section of MCAs from Kisumu and Migori counties demanded their share of the Sh200 million pie.
Kisumu County has 49 MCAs, which could have translated to Sh4.9 million, while Migori has 56 MCAs, accounting for Sh5.6 million.
Nominated MCA Regina Atieno Kizitio opened up, saying she did not receive any money as part of the Sh100,000 that had been earmarked for MCAs.
“I was shocked when Senator Tom Ojienda revealed that Sh100,000 had been earmarked for each MCA for mobilisation. I had no idea about the money which had been earmarked for the MCAs,” she said.
Instead, Kizitio said she ferried 150 people from the county to the Kirembe rally from her own pocket.
“It is unfortunate that we had to facilitate people to the rally, yet some people sat on the facilitation money for MCAs,” she said.
She said that for Kisumu West constituency, area MP Rosa Buyu gave all the MCAs Sh100,000 facilitation money.
For Muhoroni, the MCAs did not receive any coin and wondered who was given their allocation.
“I have consulted with elected MCAs from Muhoroni, and I too come from the same constituency. We didn’t get any cent. We want to know who is withholding our money,” she said.
For Kisumu Central constituency, she said the 11 nominated MCAs looked for the area MP Joshua Oron after the rally, and he gave them Sh25,000 each, totalling Sh275,000.
“This was after the event. For instance, Honourable Nancy Matara took people to the rally. She used her money to pay the people she mobilised,” she said.
If the MCAs were to get Sh100,000 each, which comes to Sh1,100,000, where is the balance of Sh825,000 for the 11 nominated MCAs?
Dr Oron did not pick up our call or respond to our text messages over the allegations.
In Seme Constituency, she said on the day of the rally, she met area MP Dr James Nyikal at the residence of Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o and asked him if there was an allocation to the MCAs.
“I met Nyikal that morning. I asked him about the mobilisation money. Nyikal told me he was not given any money for mobilisation but received Sh500,000 for his own mobilisation,” she said.
Nyikal did not respond to our telephone calls or text messages to respond to the allegations.
But on Wednesday, after Ojienda’s revelation, she claimed Nyikal sent Sh10,000 each to the MCAs, but one of the MCAs refunded the money immediately.
“It is true he was given the money, and if it is not true, then why was he sending them the money? They did not request him for money,” she said.
Kizitio said the MCAs were under intense pressure over the Sh100,000 mobilisation which they did not even get.
“Our MCAs cannot speak in the ward WhatsApp groups. We have been accused of keeping the mobilisation funds. We want the truth over this matter,” she said.
North Kanyamkago MCA of Migori County, George Omamba, said he was not aware of the mobilisation money and was not given his share because he does not support the government of the day.
“I didn’t know about the money and was shocked to learn about it at the assembly. In Migori, it was on a reducing balance, with some MCAs receiving Sh4,950. So where is the Sh95,550, and who has it?” he asked.
Interestingly, in Kisumu East, MCAs had to face the party leader Dr Oburu Oginga on the eve of the rally to ask for their share of the mobilisation fund.
Sources told Western Insight that Oburu had to call National Chairperson Gladys Wanga over the matter, and Wanga is said to have also called the representative who had taken the money on behalf of the five MCAs.
The representative, a senior official in the ODM branch office, telephoned the disgruntled MCAs and handed over their share.
The North Nyakach MCA said his colleagues from the constituency also did not receive their share of the pie.
“It is a thorny issue. I have not got my share. I have received messages from constituents asking about the money. It’s difficult to justify to the people,” he said.
The Kirembe rally took three weeks of planning and strategic meetings to make it a success.
ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga recently 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.
Ojienda 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 channelled, 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.
