Raila Odinga intervenes to calm ODM storm over Ababu Namwamba

ODM MPs allied to Ababu Namwamba address a press conference at Parliament Buildings, Wednesday. [PHOTOS:BONIFACE OKENDO/STANDARD]

Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga stepped in to calm the raging flames of renewed factional rivalries in his party sparked by utterances attributed to Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba.

Forced by perception of rising internal tensions in ODM, which is a majority shareholder in the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy which the former Prime Minister also heads, Raila strove to downplay the magnitude of disagreements in the party as his movement pushes its agenda for a national referendum on pivotal aspects of the Constitution.

Mr Odinga for the second time was forced to reach out to and be photographed with Namwamba if only to dispel perception in the political arena that the outspoken lawyer could be weighing his political options over what insiders believe to be his unhappiness at the fact that the party leader appeared to have sided with Dr Agnes Zani's line-up in the countdown to ODM's aborted elections in February.

Namwamba sent tongues wagging in ODM when on Sunday he asked that if Raila couldn't trust him with the Secretary General's post, over which he is fighting with Zani, then how would he trust his Luhya community when and if he became President.

Curiously, though Namwamba has not distanced himself from these remarks, Raila's confidants insist that the Budalang'i MP, at a closed-door meeting with Raila yesterday, before the news conference in Nairobi, disowned the remarks attributed to him. However, at yesterday's public appearance with Raila, Namwamba kept quiet as the party spoke, leaving supporters guessing what could have been going on in his mind since he was the subject of the news briefing.

Raila explained the party was a democratic outfit where members were free to share divergent opinions but that did not mean that they were a disunited family.

Odinga spoke at the news conference in Nairobi's Capitol Hill Square, Upper Hill, in which Namwamba was present. However, earlier in the day the Budalang'i MP had mobilised several of his allies for another news briefing at Parliament Buildings where they kept up the pressure on the ODM leadership. He however didn't attend but invited the media to cover it.

Yesterday, Odinga blamed the rift on "media propaganda". He dismissed reports about Namwamba being sidelined by the party as well as remarks attributed to Namwamba protesting the botched party polls. "What is happening is a creation of the media. As the party leader I am not aware of kicking anybody out of the party," explained Raila.

He added that after discussions, they had established that Namwamba was misquoted and never uttered words wondering why Raila did not trust him with the party's Secretary General. "We have established that the words attributed to Ababu are not his, neither are the words attributed to those who reacted after the story," said the former PM. Namwamba however did not speak at the press conference.

At the earlier news conference, Namwamba's colleagues claimed ODM was stifling democracy. Namwamba, who had called journalists to the Media Centre at Parliament Buildings, failed to show up and instead sent six of his colleagues.

The six first met Namwamba in the lobby, and then went on to address the news conference. They explained they had asked Namwamba not to show up because it was "not prudent for him to speak at the moment".

Within Parliament Buildings, Namwamba was receiving pats on the back mainly from MPs from the Jubilee coalition, so much that his colleague, Millicent Odhiambo Mabona, wondered why their opponents were glad that the "General" of 'ODM- Reloaded' had stirred the waters in ODM.

At the news conference, Chris Omulele (Luanda), Silverse Lisamula (Shinyalu), Samuel Arama (Nakuru Town West), Charles Geni (North Mugirango), John Waluke (Sirisia) and Rachel Ameso (Kakamega) vowed they would not let Namwamba be intimidated simply because he asked for democracy in the House and party elections.

"We have all observed the politics of this man, we have also known his history. We believe that if there is anybody who is more ODM than anyone else, then that person is Ababu Namwamba," said Omulele.
The lawmakers pledged loyalty to ODM and vowed to stay in the party. They said Namwamba was the best candidate to lead the party's secretariat and that they will back him for the post.

"This business of branding people moles should stop. We have our views and we have to say what we want freely," said Arama.

The MPs insisted that the party elections have to be held as quickly as possible.

The lawmakers said the call to disband the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will suffer if ODM does not conduct credible polls. They said Odinga should henceforth deal with the ODM Parliamentary Group whenever issues arise.

"You can't say you want to save your nation when you are not ready to save your party... Anybody who wants to think that Ababu Namwamba does not have friends is cheating himself," charged Geni.

Geni said ODM MPs in the House were willing to back Namwamba, whichever route he takes.

Ameso defended claims that Namwamba's campaign was bankrolled by party outsiders. She said she worked with Namwamba in raising money to fund the campaigns. Without elaborating, she said "no MP is a saint."

Like Ameso, Waluke said time had come for their community to also get "a share" of the ODM party, in return for the unwavering support."

Mr Odinga said the botched party elections would be concluded as there was no vacuum in the party leadership. Odinga said ODM is the only party that has held democratic elections from the grassroots level, adding that there were forces from "the other side" trying to wreck the party yet they themselves had failed to hold party elections.

 Earlier at a separate press briefing, former MP Fred Gumo had warned ODM against attempts to kick Namwamba out of the party.