By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto could give in to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) demand for zoning but with another hand sponsor an alternative vehicle to rival the party in Nyanza and in other strong holds.
President Ruto could consent to the ODM demand and more specifically the zoning, which has become a thorny matter but at the same time have friendly parties present candidates to challenge ODM.
While President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has stagnated in its envisaged objective as a rival and an alternative vehicle to ODM, the Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) has come in handy to fulfil the mission.
UDA was more vibrant and visible during the moments of former Cabinet Minister Eliud Owalo and the Internal security Permeant Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo joint effort but currently it has failed to shake the ground and endear itself to high profile candidates and the electorates.
Instead MDG of Ugenya MP David Ochieng is eating the ODM vote block and exciting the electorates and setting up something special .
A trend is unfolding in the political terrain of the once predominantly the Orange Democratic movement (ODM) stronghold and bedroom.
Mission unaccomplished
In 2022 after the Presidential victory, Ruto’s game plan was to inherit the late Raila Odinga political constituency. It was in Nyanza that UDA undertook the first membership registration, elections and offices opening.
A multi prong approach by Internal Security Permanent Secretary Dr Raymiond Omollo and then cabinet secretary Eliud Owalo threatened ODM’s vein and grip in the region.
Currently, political ground is fast shifting not to president Ruto’s UDA, which has been over the last four years trying to make inroads in the region to a least success but to new political outfits.
This explains why UDA Homa Bay County Secretary Silas Jakakimba recently redefected to ODM from the party.
The movement, shift and excitement is about the emergence of MDG as an alternative political vehicle in Nyanza and its brand of politics.
New kid on the block
MDG has for the last two elections withered the political storm of ODM in Siaya county especially Ugenya, where the party leader and the incumbent MP David Ochieng has white washed ODM candidates in the general election.
In the last general election, MDG presented a gubernatorial candidate in Kisumu through former Governor Jack Ranguma secured 100,600 votes. The party fielded several candidates in the last general election.
In the only parliamentary by-election in Nyanza, in Kasipul MDG presented a candidate in Collins Okeyo who came third with 4,796. The seat was won by ODM candidate and the current MP Boyd Were with 16,819 votes and second came Philip Aroko with 8,478 votes.
Designate Secretary Generac Dr Juius Jwan said the people of Nyanza were embracing MDG as the alternative vehicle to ODM and expressed optimism of a better political day and future in the region.
“The people are embracing MDG quite well. We have seen a lot of interest not just in Nyanza but in Western, Coast , parts of Rift Valley , North Eastern and Nairobi,’ he said.
The former PS said the main agenda was to popularize the party and make it easy to compete in the next year’s general election.
“I believe our main agenda is to popularize the party and register more members. We have a lot of people in the ODM strong holds who feel they old trick in ODM nominations may deny them opportunity to contest and have expressed interest to join us,” he said.
Ochieng -Omollo pact
Ochieng and Omollo have developed a close political pact with majority of the aspiring politicians aligned to the PS joining MDG and mobilizing for President Ruto.
MDG has declared unconditional support for president Ruto re-election while ODM has placed demands and conditions for the pre-election coalition agreement.
Defections
In a move to disable ODM in Nyanza and Western Kenya, sources claim of a plot to have ODM MPs and other elected leaders defect to MDG
Designate MDG Secretary General Dr Julius Jwan said during the aspirants forum already two ODM MPs from Busia county crossed over to the party.
He wrote “ Yesterday, we held a consultative meeting with MDG aspirants drawn from across the country at the MDG Party Headquarters in Nairobi.
During the meeting we were officially joined by two senior parliamentarians into the Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) Party, among them Teso North MP Hon. Edward Oku Kaunya who confirmed to be the deputy party leader and Butula MP Hon. Joseph Maero Oyula alongside many other leaders who have resolved to join our growing family.
We assured all aspirants of free, fair, and transparent party nominations during the upcoming primaries. We also reaffirmed our collective resolve to build a strong, vibrant, and united MDG Party that will champion the holistic development of our country,”.
It is anticipated that some of the ODM MPs allied to Omollo would decamp to MDG and cause political panic within and without ODM family.
Rattled
A rattled ODM leadership has now trained their gun on Omollo as the key architect of Ruto’s agenda in the region and move to derail the coalition partners dominance in the regional politics.
Assembly Minority leader Junet Mohammed has come out to defend ODM and dismiss the defections.
“If someone has defected from ODM and claims that he has moved to the party of the government, he is joking. We are the government. the party. The government is ODM . Do not be threatened and scared by one that they have moved to the gp0vernment party
When the government was collapsing , they looked for us and asked ODM to help them,” he said.
Why attack on Omollo
The ODM fraternity have their guns on Omollo as they believe his political agenda was to dislodge ODM from Nyanza with MDG as the alternative vehicle.
