By Team
The sacking of a key ally of President William Ruto as chairman of a parastatal and subsequent replacement by a key ally of former Prime minister Raila Odinga has raised questions.
Is the President’s party United Democratic Alliance (UDA) cannibalizing itself in Nyanza?
Or is Raila’s party Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) sending out a strong message to its former members who defected to UDA to either toe the line or face the sack?
The revocation of the appointment of Mr. Odoyo Owidi as the chairman of Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency has split the region.
In the Kenya Gazette dated 16th May 2025 by cabinet secretary for water, sanitation and irrigation read “In the exercise of the powers conferred by section 66 (1) of the water act, as read together with section 51 (1) of the interpretation and general provisions act, the cabinet secretary for water, sanitation and irrigation appoints Mr. Dan Omino to be the Non-Executive Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Lake Victoria South Water Works Development Agency, for a period of three years, with effect from 16th May 2025.
The appointment of Odoyo Owidi is revoked.”
Omino is the younger brother to former Kisumu West MP the late Joab Omino, who was one of the main key allies and advisor of Raila.
Similarly, the President in the same gazette notice published “In the exercise of the powers conferred by section 58(a) of the Energy Act, I William Samoei Ruto, president of the republic of Kenya and commander-in chief of the Defense Forces, appoint.
Prof Lawrence O. Gumbe to be the non-executive chairperson of board of nuclear energy agency, for a period of four years, with effect from the date 16th May 2025.”
Gumbe has been Raila ally and were the founder members of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in which Raila entered into alliance with Mwai Kibaki when he defected from Kanu to form Narc coalition in 2002 presidential election.
Ahead of the 2022 general election, Odoyo was a close ally of Raila and a confidant of Mama Ida Odinga and was fondly referred to as ”my son”.
However, he bolted out after the party ticket for Kasipul was handed over to the late Ongondo Were.
The vocal Odoyo became the critic of Odinga and the ODM party leadership.
He defected to UDA where he became the face of the party Homa Bay county and other parts of the region and has been in the forefront of marketing the party in Nyanza.
Mr. Joshua Nyamori, also a director in one of the parastatals said they were prepared for the sack but maintained that their support for President Ruto will not be affected by the sacking.
“The sacking will not undermine our support for the president. If it can help stabilize his presidency and secure a second term. We are prepared to take the bullet for him,” he said.
He said the sacking will not target civil servants from the region who support the president.
“We knew that at one point there was pressure to have those who moved to UDA before ODM to be sacked.
It is unfortunate but we are used to the trend.
It didn’t start today” he said.
