By Anderson Ojwang
The demise of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader Raila Amolo Odinga has turned the party into an overnight millionaire club.
From a financially cash-strapped party, due to over Sh12 billion debt owed to the party by the government and previously depending on donations and contributions from members, ODM has undergone an overnight transformation.
Similarly, the majority of ODM leaders who struggled to contribute even Sh100,000, but were known to contribute between Sh10,000 and Sh20,000 at fundraisers, are currently donating millions at these events.
Last weekend’s show of the millionaire club by a section of ODM leaders at a function in Siaya and Migori, where most of the contributions were in millions and up to Sh10 million in cash announced, marked a new financial dispensation.
Raila’s contributions
From the late Raila’s sampled contributions, the range was between Sh100,000 and Sh200,000, and only went as high as between Sh1 million and Sh2 million on very special and rare occasions.
Raila, before his death, gave Sh10 million to Gor Mahia Football Club.
During his era, ODM members and leaders struggled with donations and contributions during fundraisers.
But his demise opened a new valve for money flow into the party that has never been witnessed in the last 20 years. Currently, ODM swims and bathes in money.
The “Tunataka Pawa” Era
The new party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga’s era, has ushered in the moment of “tunataka pawa” and money is power.
This explains why the embattled Secretary General Edwin Sifuna sounded the alarm over heavily free-flowing money in the party.
Kisumu Women Representative, Ruth Adhiambo Odinga, early in the year raised the alarm over the free-flowing money in the ODM party, which was undermining its unity and activities.
Adhiambo wondered where the free-flowing money currently being witnessed was coming from and for what purpose.
Ruth wondered where the huge amount of money currently being used by the party was coming from.
“But we are seeing a situation where a lot of money is flying around, and there appears to be a deliberate approach to commit the ODM party into a coalition agreement more than a year to the next general elections. Where is the money coming from? Is it in the Budget and Appropriations Committee at the National Assembly? I know that the government has not given ODM party money. So where is all the money coming from?” she asked.
Insatiable love for money
Cabinet Secretary Wycliff Oparanya expressed concern over the love for money in the party that could damage its own foundation.
Oparanya early in the year lamented how the insatiable love for money was destroying the party and going against the grains and principles of the founder leader, the late Raila Amolo Odinga.
“Lakini nikiona ile inaendelea kwa ODM, na mimi nimekuwa karibu sana na mweshimiwa marehemu Raila Amolo Odinga (When I see what is currently happening in the ODM party, and I was very close to the late Raila Amolo Odinga), nauzingika sana. Niki ona wale… mambo ya pesa imeharibu viongozi. Viongozi anaenda hapa anaongea jambo lingine, akitoka hapa kwa sababu amepewa pesa, kichwa imechanganyika (I am shocked. Money has destroyed the leaders. A leader goes to one place and says one thing, and shortly after says a contradictory thing. Money has destroyed the minds of our leaders). Aongea mwingine kwa sababu ya pesa (They talk because of money). Haya mambo, naona saa hii sikuona wakati wa marehemu Raila Odinga. Raila alikuwa mtu wa msimamo. Akisema jambo ni hilo (This was not a matter predominant during Raila’s time. Raila had a stand),” he said then.
The arrival of choppers
Currently, the airspace of Nyanza is busy with choppers flying over from Siaya to Migori, to Busia and Kakamega, and then back to Nairobi.
Unlike Raila, who mostly used commercial flights and the road, the Oburu era is airborne on most occasions.
It has become a chopper parade at most functions attended by the Oburu-era ODM leaders and MPs.
The millionaires
Last Saturday in Migori, Suna East Constituency, in a record time of 45 minutes at the women’s economic empowerment programme, Sh35 million was realised. It was a mixed grill, with UDA caps and attire competing with those of ODM for space and dominance.
For instance, the MPs take home approximately Sh1 million to Sh1.5 million depending on the mileage, and in the recent past, MPs from Nyanza have been holding and attending fundraisers, dishing out hundreds and millions of shillings.
For instance, the Suna East fundraiser witnessed MPs TJ Kajwang’ give Sh100,000, Paul Abuor give Sh100,000, while Peter Masara, Tom Odege, and Fatuma Mohammed each donated Sh200,000.
Alego MP and Chairman of the Budget Committee Sam Atandi gave Sh1 million, while Governor Wanga and Ochilo Ayako each gave Sh1 million.
Dr Oburu gave Sh2 million, while Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi gave Sh1.5 million. Junet Mohammed, the area MP, gave Sh10 million, and another Sh10 million came from President Ruto.
The Sh200 million Kisumu rally
The recent Kisumu rally consumed a whopping Sh200 million for mobilisation and planning of the event. Unlike before, during Raila’s time, where the expenditure was way far below, the “Tunataka Pawa” era is all about moneyed events.
Kisumu Senator Prof Tom 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.
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 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.
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.
Raila’s grave
In Raila’s grave, he could be turning, watching how his treasure is being destroyed and money wreaks havoc on his legacy.
Winnie Odinga, the daughter, aptly captured it: “I didn’t see the death of my father coming. And even before I could recover, I saw the destruction of what he had built and treasured so dearly by those he had entrusted. I felt so much pain.”
In an explosive interview, Winnie talked about the desecration of the party’s creed.
Winnie raised the red flag over the desecration when she alluded to the fact that ODM was not formed from the comfort of pillows and bedroom talks but from the streets in fighting for social justice, and that is what Raila stood for.
“I raised the statement out of concern that certain people and certain quarters were trying to achieve something which necessarily doesn’t stand for the creed of the ODM party and perhaps want to take advantage of the situation for their own gain,” she said.
It is party time while it lasts. Before the taps dry and the funder vanishes into thin air as mysteriously as he came.
