By Team
Attempts by a section of MPs from Nyanza, led by Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chairperson Gladys Wanga, to have the son of the murdered Kasipul MP Charles Ongondo Were issued with a direct ticket is creating a split in the party’s top leadership.
Wanga, who is the Homa Bay Governor, and other leaders over the weekend presented Mr Boyd Were at a local church and asked residents to support his candidature to inherit his father’s seat.
Wanga, Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma, Senator Moses Kajwang, Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo, and Roza Buyu (Kisumu West) said the late Were’s son was the best-suited family member to replace his father as Kasipul Member of Parliament.
The team promised to support Boyd, who swore to stand strong with the people of Kasipul during his late father’s burial, in his quest to become the next constituency MP.
But the party’s top leadership hierarchy is uncomfortable with the move and wants a free and fair nomination conducted to avoid any fallout within the party.
Sources told Western Insight that the party was not convinced of Ongondo’s son’s capability to win the seat should he be given the direct party ticket.
“Kasipul Constituency is volatile and the party is not ready to take any risk. I do not see Were’s son getting endorsement from the party leadership. ODM wants to contain any internal rebellion, and that is why once the election is called, they will prefer a nomination to awarding a direct ticket,” said our sources.
Following the recent death of Were, a number of leaders have already begun drumming up support for the late MP’s son, Boyd Were.
According to the ODM brigade from Homa Bay and other parts of the county, Boyd is seen as the best person to inherit his late father’s seat.
Before his death, Were was facing a herculean task from his main challengers: Mr Newton Kefa Ogada, Philip Aroko, Money Mabior, Okindo Majiwa, Ajoh Mbuta, Omondi Swaleh, and Rateng Kotiende.
According to Wanga, Homa Bay is an ODM zone and they expect no other party to field a candidate when the by-election comes.
“As the Governor of Homa Bay and the ODM Chairperson, we support the Broad-Based Government since that is what we promised our party leader and President William Ruto.”
“However, we must know that Homa Bay and the entire region is an ODM zone, and we will defend, protect, and stay strong for the party.
“As we plan to go for by-elections in Kasipul, Ugunja constituencies, and other parts of the country, clearly we do not want to be in competition with our allies. We want cooperation and for ODM seats to remain as ODM seats,” she said during the burial ceremony.
The Kenyan Constitution stipulates that the Speaker of the National Assembly declares a parliamentary seat vacant within 21 days of the occurrence of a vacancy. The Speaker then notifies the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which, under the Constitution, triggers a by-election to fill the vacant seat.
ODM Past Trends
According to past ODM trends, whenever a family loses one of their own elected leaders, in most cases one of the close relatives is usually rewarded with a direct ticket, despite having to mount a major campaign against opponents vying on other political party tickets.
When the late Senator Gerald Otieno Kajwang died in November 2014, his brother Moses Otieno Kajwang was given the direct ticket.
The same trend was witnessed when the late Kibra MP Ken Okoth died in 2019 and his brother Imran Okoth was given the party ticket.
A similar scenario was also witnessed in Homa Bay when the late Kibiri Ward MCA Boaz Odhiambo was murdered and his brother, now a former MCA, Kennedy Ondiek, was given the direct ticket.
However, this trend was not realised when the late Ndhiwa MP Orwa Ojode died in a plane crash, as the party settled on former MP Agostinho Neto instead.
