By Anderson Ojwang
A drop in the ocean and what could be viewed as a slap on the face, after the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was only given Sh200 million, accounting for 1.67 percent of the political funds owed to it by the government.
The debt, which formed one of the pillars in the formation of the broad-based alliance between the late Raila Amolo Odinga and President William Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), has seen the government fail to meet its side of the bargain.
Despite the immediate former ODM national chairman, John Mbadi, sitting in the powerful seat of Cabinet Secretary for the Treasury, the funds have not been forthcoming to the party.
ODM party leader Dr Oburu Oginga, on Wednesday during a TV interview, said the government has only disbursed Sh200 million to the party to run its errands.
“Gi e sani gisemiyowa gimoro ma wawuotho godo. Maromo sh200m ma sani wan godo e agulu. Ma watemo organize godo activities magwa (As at now, the government has given us something small for operations. They gave Sh200 million to organise our activities),” he said.
Oburu expressed optimism that the government would factor in additional funds to pay ODM in the new financial year.
“Wa negotiate kod piny owacho mondo kik wadhi e yiero ka waonge pesa. Waparo ni budget ma higani wabiro yudo e gimoro matin (We are negotiating with the government so that we don’t go to the elections with unpaid debts. We hope in this year’s budget we will get something small),” he said.
Recently, in Mombasa during an ODM strategic meeting with elected leaders, ODM’s deputy party leader Simba Arati said before any pre-election coalition, they would demand payment of the Sh12 billion debt from the government.
He said the payment of Sh12 billion in political funds owed to ODM was one of the irreducible minimum conditions before the talks.
“I want to say something here. The debts that the government owes us, kindly our brothers, pay us. We will not have any talks. The government owes ODM, and we want the government to pay us. The minimum irreducible number one item is the Cabinet Secretary for the Treasury, John Mbadi, present here. Kindly pay our money first before we can engage in talks,” he said.
Interestingly and surprisingly, Mbadi, once a loud voice in demanding that the government of President Ruto should pay ODM’s debt, who was present at the strategic meeting, remained silent and ignored the matter altogether when it was raised by the media.
Mbadi, upon assumption of office, has maintained studious silence on the matter and currently prefers to campaign for President Ruto’s second term.
Even after the media asked about the debt, it was Mbadi’s successor, Gladys Wanga, who rose to respond to the question and only confirmed the amount owed to the party.
When Mbadi addressed the media, he gave the topic a wide berth and instead called for the unity of ODM under the leadership of Dr Oburu Oginga as the party leader.
“Our being here is in recognition first that there is always a time to lead and a time to leave others to lead. We have this party. My two colleagues here have been deputy party leaders, while I have been the national party chairman for 10 years. But we were seconded to the government by this party, and so we could not hold the same positions. But there are people who have succeeded us. We must give them support, work with them, and work under them. Because when it comes to the party machineries, they are above us, and we are their subjects. We have come to demonstrate unity in ODM and that ODM is one under the leadership of Dr Oburu Oginga as the party leader,” he said.
Ruto’s tokens
Recently, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua challenged the ODM leadership to request President William Ruto to disburse the Sh12 billion political fund owed to the party by the government.
Gachagua said it was unfortunate that the leadership was driven by tokenism from the President instead of seeking the disbursement of political funds owed to them.
“Instead of going for tokens, kindly ask the President to disburse even half of the amount owed to make the party financially sound. Former party national chairman John Mbadi is the current Cabinet Secretary for Finance. Why can’t he arrange to release funds to ODM? We need a stronger party with a sound financial standing. This is what the party leadership should prioritise,” Gachagua said.
But in a quick response, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga told Gachagua to give them a break and that they do not want his advice.
“Gachagua should give us a break. He should concentrate on his village party, DCP. He has built his politics on hate and division,” she said.
Parallel funding
In a recent interview, the embattled party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna revealed that the funds and resources being used in the ongoing Linda Ground engagement did not come from the party.
He said the party was owed over Sh12 billion by the government for political party funds, which has negated its operations.
“The money and the resources you see being spent on the ODM rallies called Linda Ground, the monies do not come from ODM headquarters. For me, I can only account for the monies because I am a signatory to the bank accounts. Timothy Bosire is a signatory to the bank accounts. The last money we expended as ODM officially was for the celebration in Mombasa, and it was a fraction of what you saw there,” he said.
Sifuna said there was parallel funding of political activities in the party and they do not know where the funds were coming from.
“For a fact, there is parallel funding for activities clothed in ODM colours, and they go around saying they are ODM delegates.”
Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga supported Sifuna’s concerns over the financing of ODM Linda Ground activities and wondered about the source of money flowing into the party.
“As a signatory to the ODM account, if Sifuna questioned where all the money for choppers, big tents and ODM branded t-shirts and caps in the ‘Linda Ground’ conventions were coming from…”
A new battle front in ODM over the Sh12 billion debt
A new battle front has erupted over the Sh12 billion debt, with Siaya Governor James Orengo criticising the Linda Ground faction for not recognising his legal contribution.
Orengo wrote on his social media platforms: “It is a matter of public record that I personally initiated the legal proceedings on behalf of ODM to determine the funds owed to the party by the Government. The Ksh 12 billion figure exists today only because of the ruling in the case I filed. It is ironical to see the ‘Linda Tumbo’ group now demanding these funds from the President without acknowledging the legal groundwork I laid, choosing instead to target me with personal attacks.”
But in a hard-hitting response, a statement from the party accused Orengo of having reneged on his early promise to act for free on behalf of the party.
The statement said it was important to set the record straight regarding the Political Parties Fund case that the party successfully litigated.
“We have noted the claim by Gov. James Orengo that he personally initiated the matter. With respect, that position is not accurate. The true position, as borne out by the Party’s records, is that the National Executive Committee deliberated on the issue and formally resolved that the case be filed on behalf of the Party. At the material time, Gov. Orengo was brought on board as a senior-ranking member with legal expertise specifically to offer legal services on a pro bono basis,” read the statement.
The statement also accused Orengo of failing to institute the proceedings through his law firm but instead bringing in another law firm.
“That was the clear understanding. However, instead of instituting the proceedings through his own law firm, he conveniently introduced the firm of Ms. Julie Soweto, which ultimately filed the petition. From that point, the character of the engagement shifted from what had been understood as a pro bono undertaking into a contractual legal arrangement,” the statement read in parts.
It went further to state that the law firm was paid Sh40 million for the service.
“Following the Party’s success in the High Court in 2016 and subsequently in the Court of Appeal in 2018, demands for legal fees began to be made. Ms. Soweto’s law firm was paid Kes. 40 million by the party. The demand came as a surprise to everyone, including the Party Leader, the late Raila Odinga. There was nothing ‘PRO-BONO’. The documentary trail in this regard is clear and verifiable, and Hon. Orengo has personally received these payments. There is evidence to that effect,” the statement read.
