By Anderson Ojwang
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) could be walking to rubber-stamp the pre-election pact with President William Ruto after the party leader, Oburu Oginga, revealed that the party was not interested in the Deputy President seat.
Dr Oburu, the ODM lead negotiator, seems to be changing the goalposts from the initial demand for the Deputy President slot to now undisclosed positions.
The earlier anticipation and declaration by Oburu that the ODM would demand the Deputy President slot seem to have been decapitated in thin air with the Kisumu declaration.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has declared that it will not accept any position lower than that of the Deputy President in any pre-election coalition ahead of the 2027 General Election.
During last year’s interview with NTV, Oburu maintained that the party would only negotiate for top positions from a position of strength and not desperation.
“If we have to go for a lower position, it must not be lower than number two (Deputy President) in any formation. That is my take. We should not take less than that,” he said.
Oginga said ODM’s priority is to rebuild and unite its grassroots base to retain influence in national politics.
“I want my people of ODM to strengthen the ODM as a party. If we are going to start talking about the position we will occupy there, we will get nothing,” he said.
“Nobody will respect you or negotiate with you if you are a weak party. Our emphasis is on strengthening ODM so that we can negotiate for the top position in the land.”
Yesterday in Kisumu, Oburu said before President Ruto and his deputy, Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki, that ODM was not eyeing the Deputy President slot.
On Monday, Oburu said, “Deputy President, do not think we want your seat and that we want to chase you away. No.
Please, you are our friend, but as we negotiate, we are going to negotiate what our people deserve and what our party deserves. ODM is not a Luo party, but it is a national party. We will negotiate fairly. We are not going to take anybody’s share. Everybody gets their fair share.”
Oburu said he would be leading ODM during the negotiations and promised to lead the party to Canaan through Singapore.
“I am leading ODM. When you follow flies, it will take you to the pit latrine, and when you follow bees, you will get to the honey.
We are in talks with UDA. We are going to make sure that we have more than what we have currently.
You can see already we have managed to get for you these good ministries. We have Energy, headed by Opiyo Wandayi, and Finance, which is the heart of the government, led by John Mbadi. Even Alego MP Sam Atandi is the chairman of the Budget Committee,” he said.
Oburu said President Ruto has undertaken several transformative projects in the area, which must be lauded.
“We will start talking with UDA. Some people are saying we are in a hurry. We are not in a hurry. The election is next year. We must prepare in advance. I want to tell you that I will take you to Canaan through Singapore.
Singapore is these programmes we have launched today. We are giving money to the people,”he said.
A section of ODM leaders from the Coastal region, during Raila Odinga’s posthumous birthday, declared that their irreducible minimum was the slot of Deputy President in 2027 in support of President Ruto.
The leaders proposed Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho for the Deputy President post.
During a recent ODM Linda Grounds meeting in Kisumu, Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo told Oburu that, as the party leader of ODM, he could not double up as the lead negotiator in the ODM–President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) pre-election coalition pact.
“Mokuongo amor. Chieng kacha an ema ne awacho ni structured negotiations. Sani Daktari ka itelonwa, joma obiro ka, oyie ni nyaka wadhi e structured negotiations. To nyaka wadhiye.
Ka iwacho ni structured negotiation, ok ochuno ni ipingo. Matiende ni wa gin lemo moko. Wadwaro ni wan bende omedwa lemo.
Daktari saa ma wadhi e structured negotiations, in kik ibed mbele bed chien. In ja telo. Thuonu ok bed mbele. Wasigu nyalo nege.
Ibed ki ji ma kisungu luongo ni the first right of acceptance and the first right of refusal.
Ka dhi maber to iwacho ni ayie. Ka dhi marach to iwacho ni adagi. Wan ema itiyo kodwa. Wan e foot soldiers. Jowa mantie ka gi are foot soldiers. Kata onegwa onge rach tek ni thuonwa to pod ngima,” he said.
Winnie Odinga, during the ODM 20th anniversary, called for a new team to manage the broad-based arrangement, terming it delicate.
“There is something I wanted to tell you. When it came to the matter of the broad-based government, the people of ODM entrusted one person with the management of that relationship. That person was Baba Raila Amolo Odinga.
That relationship is complicated, and therefore we are looking and wondering whether those who are taking it upon themselves to manage it now are capable of managing that relationship.
I do not think that is a question for me to answer. That is a question for the people of ODM to answer. That is why, party leader, I am requesting that we go back to the people and have an NDC to see who the people want to pick to manage that same relationship,” she said.
Oburu, speaking in Kisumu, said he would not betray the community by leading them into deep waters.
“An kaka jatelo maru ok anyal terou e nam. Ok anyal terou kama rach. Angeyo ni Raila ne owewa e broad-based. Ne owewa kod ten-point agenda,”
