By Anderson Ojwang
Song by Neil Diamond, composed in 1978, Forever in Blue Jeans talks about money and, in the first stanza below, captures it all.
Money talks
But it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk
And long as I can have you here with me
I’d much rather be forever in blue jeans
And the American rapper Notorious B.I.G. capped it in his song More Money, More Problems, and this is the situation the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) currently finds itself in.
Kisumu Woman Representative, Ruth Adhiambo Odinga, raised the alarm over the free-flowing money in the ODM party, which was undermining its unity and activities.
On Friday, former Deputy Party Leader and Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya lamented how the insatiable love for money was destroying the party and going against the grain and principles of the founding leader, the late Raila Amolo Odinga.
“First, I want to tell Kenyans, we are ODM members and we will remain in ODM.
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, I was very close to the late Raila Amolo Odinga.)
“Nausikitikia sana. Nikiangalia yale mambo ya pesa, imeharibu viongozi. Viongozi anaenda hapa anaongea jambo lingine, akitoka hapa kwa sababu amepewa pesa, kichwa imechanganyika.”
(I am deeply disturbed. Money has destroyed leaders. Leaders go somewhere, say one thing, then leave and say something else because they have been given money. Money has confused their minds.)
“Anaongea mwingine kwa sababu ya pesa. Haya mambo ninaona sasa sikuyakuta wakati wa Marehemu Raila Odinga. Raila alikuwa mtu wa msimamo. Akisema jambo, ni hilo.”
(They speak because of money. These things were not common during Raila’s time. Raila was a man of principle. Once he said something, that was it.)
“Hataki kubadilisha msimamo mpaka ashauriane. Nilisema hivi, lakini nimeona hivi, kwa sababu ya hili.”
(If he wanted to change his position, he would first consult. He would say, I said this, but I have now seen this, because of this.) Oparanya said.
Adhiambo wondered where the free-flowing money currently being witnessed was coming from and for what purpose.
Ruth questioned where the huge amounts of money currently being used within the party were 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? And I know that the government has not given the ODM party money. So where is all the money coming from?”she asked.
The Kakamega ODM drama
Last Sunday, it was a cat-and-mouse game in Kakamega County for the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga.
Dr Oburu found himself in a delicate balancing act and, to save face, juggled between two parallel rallies in the county. It was a litmus test for the party leader over his handling of the two camps claiming county party leadership.
In this delicate balancing act, Oburu was forced to attend two parallel ODM delegates’ rallies in the county—one organised by Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and his allies, led by Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera, who claims the county chairmanship. This rally was held at Mabole Primary School grounds in Butere Sub-county.
From Butere, Oburu proceeded to Kakamega, where Governor Ferdinand Barasa was holding a parallel Linda Grounds delegates’ meeting.
Interestingly, Oparanya accompanied Oburu to the venue but left immediately before the Siaya Senator could introduce him to the crowd.
When Oburu spoke in Kakamega, he said:
“I was invited to Butere and I went to eat breakfast. But when I reached there, I found people saying they were the bona fide delegates.
We spoke and addressed them because, rightly, they are our people. I was with Oparanya—can you see him around so that we can resolve this matter? Is Oparanya around? He left by chopper.
We want one Kakamega. I have spoken with Chairman Barasa. He has no problem and he wants a united Kakamega.”
However, Oparanya posted on his X handle:
“I was honoured to host the ODM party leader, Senator Dr Oburu Oginga, alongside other national leaders, during the ODM delegates’ consultative forum held at Mabole Primary School grounds in Butere Sub-county, Kakamega County.
The consultative forum brought together party leadership and delegates for open engagement, reflection, and dialogue on issues that matter to the people and the future of inclusive development.”
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang downplayed the Oparanya wing, saying:
“In Butere, we went to drink tea. ODM is like a beautiful girl whom men fight over. That is why we have fights in Kakamega.”
Junet declared that, according to records held by the party’s elections board, Barasa was the Kakamega County ODM chairman.
“I want to make a clarification on behalf of the party. In the ODM books, the chairman is Ferdinand Barasa. That is the position. I know there is a dispute, but it will be listened to,” he said.
Junet added that the matter was discussed at the party’s Central Committee and resolved in Barasa’s favour.
“Those on the other side are also ODM members. They are our people. We must run the party from the correct position. This matter was discussed in the Central Committee and it was resolved that the elections board had declared Barasa as the chairman,” he said.
