Storm in Orange Democratic Movement ‘Young Turks’ take party Old Guard head on

By ABDIKADIR SUGOW

NAIROBI, KENYA: A major showdown looms in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) between the old guards and the ‘Young Turks’ as the party seeks to reinvent itself following the shocking March 2013 poll loss.

ODM’ main grassroots active groups, the Youth and Women’s Leagues have joined professionals affiliated to the party in calling for a total overhaul and restructuring at the top level.

The battle lines have already been drawn and the manner in which a new ODM Executive Director will be appointed will determine whether the party will regain its status as the strongest political party in Kenya.

Insiders agree there is popular consensus among the ODM fraternity the Orange Party must reinvent itself and be in touch with its followers if at all it hopes to remain relevant in the national landscape.

The elections debacle has left the ODM rank and file in a state of disbelief, rocked by Raila Odinga’s loss and the ODM ‘Young Turks’ are pushing for a total structural overhaul to reinvent and strengthen the party’s alliance with the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD).

CORD’s defeat and the Supreme Court’s decision to confirm President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory has driven the party’s young professionals and aspiring politicians in demanding for drastic action if ODM and CORD have any ambitions of winning a future election.

Members have already prompted Raila to spearhead radical surgery in the party’s top organs and structures.

The appointment of a new Executive Director and the urgent holding of party elections are top of the agenda and the bone of contention between the old guards and the ‘Young Turks’

Younger party stalwarts are placing the blame for the elections loss squarely on the shoulders of Raila’s inner circle of key advisers, mostly the old guards, arguing that they should not be involved in the selection for a new Executive Director and the organization of fresh elections.

“How can ODM members let a cabal of politicians who led us to an elections loss and messed up of our presidential candidate’s campaigns to lead the recruitment and appointment of a new ODM Executive Director?” poses architect JT Okinda, who is gunning for the post of party Secretary-General, challenging Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o, adding: “A meaningful restructuring and systems overhaul including the appointment of a professional, independent and impartial Executive Director can only be done after fresh party elections. Party elections are long overdue, since the last ones were held more than five years ago.

Okinda is leading the ‘Young Turks’ onslaught against the old guards including Nyong’o, Senators James Orengo, Janet Ongera and Otieno Kajwang’ and Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who are believed to have a close ear to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Ongera is the outgoing ODM Executive Director.

The Young Turks say only Raila as party leader should be spared in the new party executive lineup, arguing that the old guards have their hands full and should concentrate on the legislative duties that they have been elected to or nominated to and let a younger crop of dynamic –professional leadership to steer ODM on a new course.

The two ODM Youth and Women Leagues organs say they were totally left out and sidelined in all crucial decision making of the party, including nomination slots despite working voluntarily and remaining pro-active at the grassroots during the elections.

“Women at the sub-locations were given a raw deal instead of enjoying the fruits of their labour,” charges ODM Women League Chairperson Beth Syengo. Those women in the Senate and the National Assembly are not the only leaders that represent us,” she told The Standard on Sunday.

Syengo suggests that as the party is being restructured; two posts of Deputy Executive Director – one for the youth and other for women - should be reserved to direct deal with issues touching those categories of the party members.

poor structures

ODM Youth League Chairman Rashid Mohamed totally agrees that the youth were left out during the election campaigns and blamed this on lack of proper structures of the party at the national level. But he expresses confidence that the youth will now be fully engaged all matters.

Machakos County ODM Chairman Peter Mutulu says the party is still active on the ground and only needs proper leadership at the national level. He says party county officials do meet to conduct their regular business including recruiting more members.

Mutulu has urged ODM and Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) party members not to be demoralized after the elections, but to work harder to instill democracy and transparent leadership in a free and fair atmosphere to build CORD into the most powerful coalition in the country.

His view tallies with those who believe that ODM must undergo a complete overhaul. “Does ODM want to reinvent and reform itself in line with its manifesto, that it is the party of reform? You cannot claim to be a champion of reform if you cannot reform your structures,” argues a party confidante.

He further argues that there is no doubt that the party secretariat was mediocre and contributed to CORD’s loss at the polls. Surprisingly, Senator Ongera, who was among top party officials accused of contributing to the party nominations fiasco, is part of a team currently short-listing candidates for the Executive Director’s post.

Raila appointed her alongside seven other members of new and youthful MPs to help the party in the recruitment process.

The committee held their first meeting at Orange House, the party headquarters on Thursday to lay strategies on how to handle the matter. A reputable human resource firm was also hired to assist.

The committee includes Andrew Toboso (Butere MP – Chairman), Joyce Wanjala Lay (County Women Rep Taita Taveta), Florence Mutua (County Women Rep Busia), Abdikadir Aden (Balambala MP), Joshua Aduma (Nyakach MP), Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba) and Junet Mohamed (Suna East MP).

After the recruitment of the Executive Director and the two deputies, the party will call for a national governing council meeting in the month of June so that matters of filling official positions can be discussed.

The priority of the party is to get a reform minded person, a view supported by the majority of younger ODM MPs, members and supporters. One party insider claimed: “There is a crop of leaders that has been plundering the party, with their relatives doing business with the secretariat such that very little resources reach the grassroots to prop up party activities.”

Credible polls

“Apart from reforming the secretariat another area of priority is to hold credible national elections to give the party a vibrant new face and blood. The party’s elections board has also lost face and needs to be replaced,” the party operative who declined to be identified added. “The person selected to head the secretariat has the unenviable task of uplifting the morale of party supporters after the loss in the election. A big task is to mobilize supporters to vote in the referendum to change the way we elect our president.”

Orange Network (ONET) leader Kennedy Butiko, is among the over 200 applicants for the post of Executive Director. ONET is a pressure group that is leading the push for reforms in the party and agitating for grassroots elections and reform of the elections board.

Butiko says he is willing to support any person selected ‘as long as they want to work diligently for the party.’ “I am not a stranger to ODM members and they all know what I stand for and what I am capable of.”

As ODM and Raila administers a total overhaul and a major facelift steered by younger dynamic leaders to rebrand the party in a transformed political terrain, the party must accept the reality on the ground and shunt active politicians from its secretariat.

It must also immediately organise free and fair elections from the grassroots to the national office, as demanded by a restive membership.