By Anderson Ojwang
What could be ailing Kenya’s most populous opposition party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM)?
Where did the rains begin to beat the party, and can the leadership restore public confidence, or will they preside over its eventual death and burial?
Will Dr Oburu live to uphold the legacy of his younger brother, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, or will he dance on the grave of his brother’s treasured asset, the ODM party?
These are some of the emerging issues that the party needs to urgently address ahead of the elections.
That is why last Sunday, at a burial in Kisumu County, Oburu’s younger sister and Kisumu Women Representative Ruth Odinga smelt a rat, panicked, and opted to cry out loud.
In what appeared as panic and anxiety, Odinga was alarmed by the dwindling fortunes of the party of change and opted to cry out aloud.
Fear of the butcher’s knife, Odinga, in a searing tone, did not hold back but opened her heart to the mourners and the public.
She wondered why all the aspirants who had been invited to speak only sold their policies and announced their candidatures but were silent on the political vehicle – the party.
In her wisdom, ODM, which has been the dominant party in the region, was expected to draw a scramble for the ticket, but that was not forthcoming.
Which party?
Shocked by the unfolding scenario, Odinga decided to ask the aspirants who spoke about their political parties.
“Jok ma ochung ma nitiere kaye tee. Un uchung e party mane? (Those aspirants who are here, which is your political party for 2027?) Nikech anenou ka ubiro ka. Uwacho mana ni adwaro MCA, MP kata ngama wacho ni ODM achiel ok awainjo kuomu. Un gi party uru moro. (I have seen aspirants come and declare the seats they are eyeing. But not even a single aspirant has declared interest on the ODM ticket. Which party do you people have?)” she asked.
Odinga was concerned by the emerging narrative, which she said was detrimental to the growth and survival of the party.
“Why are the speakers here not talking about ODM as their preferred party in the next general elections? ODM has been our party, and we cannot run away from it,” she said.
Nyanza is ODM
Odinga said every region has a political party they affiliate with, and for Nyanza, ODM is the stronghold.
She said ODM was the party of the region and that she would not defect but will go out to mobilise and popularise it.
“It is ODM, the only party we can use as a vehicle to contest the 2027 elections. That is our ticket. I do not have any political vehicle to use in the 2027 elections, and the only ticket for me is ODM,” she said.
Hard tackle
Former Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma, speaking at the same function, delivered a scorching tackle to Odinga, saying the ODM certificate fiasco had driven prospective aspirants from the party.
“When people are not sure of transparent and accountable nomination, they will shift. ODM has a bad history of unfairness in nominations. That is why you didn’t hear the majority talk about the party,” he said.
Illusive ODM unity
Odinga said it was important to reunite the ODM party to make it a formidable one, and that is why she was on a mission to broker peace.
Already ODM is split into two factions: Linda Ground of Dr Oburu and Linda Mwananchi of Siaya Governor James Orengo, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino.
Linda Ground continues to wobble while Linda Mwananchi is drawing traction and support across the country, with various leaders joining the fray.
The latest entrant in the park is Murang’a Governor Irungu Kangata, who graced the Thika rally.
But for Linda Ground, it continues to suffer disquiet from the moderate group, who have been boycotting most of their functions, and it is only a matter of time before they cross the ship to the other wing.
Odinga said she was not a fence-sitter and had no bad blood with her elder brother Dr Oburu.
In the recent past, Odinga has been attending most of Oburu’s functions and re-ignited the family closeness to forestall the ship from sinking deeper into the ocean.
Sh200 million to mobilise
The recent much-hyped ODM rally consumed a whopping Sh200 million to mobilise residents to attend the event.
Unlike the Linda Mwananchi rally, which was organic and successful despite attempts to disrupt it by goons and local leaders, last Sunday’s Linda Ground meeting told a different story.
The three weeks of planning and strategic meetings for the rally in the once bedrock of ODM and its founder, the late Raila Amolo Odinga, only culminated in renting and branding the crowd for a show of might and making a statement.
ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga claimed the rally was attended by 115,000 people and showed the might of the party in the region.
“We held one of the biggest rallies in Kisumu. We used drones to count the people, and we came up with 115,000. ODM is strong, and we have resolved to remain united and to be in the broad-based government,” she said.
But Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda has opened the lid to the inside story of how the party leadership used millions of shillings to ferry people to the rally.
Ojienda said Members of County Assembly from Kisumu were each given Sh100,000, while the MPs were given between Sh500,000 and Sh600,000 for the same purpose.
For instance, Kisumu County Assembly has 42 MCAs, which translates to Sh4.2 million, while there are seven constituencies; at Sh600,000 each, that comes to Sh4.2 million, totalling Sh8.4 million.
Apart from Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay and Siaya were also expected to bring people to the rally, and all were bankrolled for the meeting, running into millions of shillings.
This was just the first avenue through which funds were channelled, including the county party office and the sub-branches.
Ojienda said: “I was never given a cent. But I know so well that the MCAs were given Sh100,000 each to bring people to the meeting. I know the MPs were given, I think, between Sh500,000 and Sh600,000 to bring people to the rally.”
The ODM party leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, in a recent interview with a local TV station, said the government had released Sh200 million for their operations.
Oburu’s plea
Oburu at the rally pleaded with the region not to decamp from the party, saying his elder brother, Raila, would haunt them.
But as things stand, ODM is softly and painfully walking the path of Kanu, DP, and Narc as the clock ticks.
