By Anderson Ojwang
Same mistake, same path, and in the end, gnashing of jaws and left to eat the humble pie when the party’s pariahs rise to higher offices.
This has been the path of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) – failing to read the mood and consequences of their actions on dissenting voices.
ODM continues to practise the politics of emotion and reaction and has failed to learn from past mistakes.
Despite its contribution to constitutional and democratic change processes and nurturing the majority crop of leading politicians in the country, ODM has remained in a circus.
After the defeat of Kanu in the 2002 general elections and the subsequent fallout in the late President Mwai Kibaki’s government with the late Raila Odinga over the draft constitution, then Kanu Secretary General William Ruto found a new lease of life.
The making of Ruto
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga fell to the sword of his advisors and close relatives who convinced him to dispense with William Ruto, then Agriculture Minister, arguing that he would still gain the Kalenjin vote in 2007.
The then Ker of Luo, the late Mzee Riaga Ogallo, pleaded with Raila not to discard Ruto but instead stick with him.
“You need Ruto to win the presidency in future. I have spoken with him, and he is ready to work with you. I beseech you, do not discard him,” Riaga said then.
The coup
Instead of Raila listening to Riaga, he mastered a coup against him for allegedly associating with Ruto, who was seen as the community’s enemy.
Raila, through his proxies, replaced Riaga with the late Mzee Opiyo Otondi. Riaga ran a parallel wing and continued to associate with Ruto until his demise.
The 2013 elections
In the 2007 presidential elections, Raila won in Rift Valley by securing 70.3 percent of the total votes cast against then President, the late Mwai Kibaki’s 28.7 percent.
But Raila suffered a shocking defeat in the 2013 presidential election to a joint presidential candidature of Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto.
From the IEBC data, for instance, in West Pokot County, Raila got 24,962 votes against Uhuru’s 79,772, while in Trans Nzoia, Kibaki received 94,022 votes against Raila’s 24,762 votes.
In Uasin Gishu, the bedrock of Ruto’s home county, Uhuru received 113,630 votes against Raila’s paltry 5,993 votes.
In Nandi County, Uhuru managed 192,507 votes against Raila’s 20,549, while in Baringo County, Uhuru received 138,480 votes against Raila’s 13,824 votes, and in Kericho County, Uhuru attained 138,488 votes against Raila’s 17,326, and in Bomet, Uhuru won by 210,507 against Raila’s 10,463 votes.
The Uhuru and Ruto ticket rode to victory while Raila and his running mate, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, suffered a shock defeat.
Sifuna complex
On Monday, Oburu chaired the National Executive Committee, which adopted the resolution by the party’s dispute resolution committee to relieve Sifuna of his post as Secretary General.
“NEC received and considered the report of the party’s internal disputes resolution committee that was constituted in accordance with Article 61(3)(1) of the party’s constitution to hear and determine the complaint concerning the Secretary General Edwin Sifuna in his capacity as Secretary General. After going through the report and the findings of the IDRC under Article 74(2) of the party constitution, the NEC unanimously resolved to adopt the committee’s recommendations and endorsed the removal from office of Sifuna. Effectively, Sifuna ceases to be the Secretary General,” read the press statement.
The departure
The demise of Raila opened a battlefront pitting the pro-broad-based faction against the anti-broad-based.
The Linda Ground faction of the party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, who have openly declared support for President William Ruto’s re-election, had initiated the sacking of Sifuna from the outfit for opposing the pre-election coalition between UDA and ODM.
But Sifuna and his team have moved ahead to form the Linda Mwananchi faction in ODM, which has gained more currency than the Oburu-led one.
Presidency
Sifuna has walked from the conversation of a senator to a potential presidential candidate.
In a recent opinion poll, Sifuna has staked his claim and been rated.
Surprisingly, the recent opinion poll by TIFA revealed an emerging gain by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, rating at 19 percent against President Ruto’s 24 percent.
Jubilee Party presidential candidate Dr Fred Matiang’i was at 14 percent, while the new entrant and ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna came in at 10 percent, and finally DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua stood at 9 percent.
Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who has declared his interest for the Nairobi governorship, was rated at 2 percent, and 15 percent remained undecided.
Interestingly, not a single leader from the ODM Linda Ground was ranked, and that is a scary situation for the party.
Luo-Luhya alliance at stake
The decision by Oburu to sack Sifuna came after the Luhya Council of Elders had approached him and asked him to reconcile with his Secretary General.
Already Oburu had sacked Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, and with the exit of Sifuna, the Luo-Luhya alliance now faces the test of time.
Oburu had earlier said Sifuna was not a Pope to be begged to be in the party.
Old path
ODM has again returned to the old path of destruction and will watch as leaders it has nurtured grow while it remains in a circus.
