Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula's bid to expand influence irritates ODM

Ford Kenya leader and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula is installed as a Luhya elder shortly before launching his presidential bid in Kakamega town two weeks ago. [PHOTOS: FILE/STANDARD]

Ford Kenya party has not made any secret of its desire to have ODM members ditch their party and join the political outfit headed by Moses Wetang’ula.

The sustained efforts by the Bungoma senator to consolidate the western vote has caused a rift within CORD, with a group of leaders asking him to go slow.

Since last year, Ford Kenya has made a sustained effort to contain ODM’s popularity —in 2013 the Orange party won  most elective seats  in the region.

Ford Kenya was once Western Kenya’s party of choice. But the mass support the party enjoyed under the leadership of former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa waned  following his death.

Wetang’ula is now working to regain lost ground.

“I want to consolidate all the votes in the western region into one basket. That basket is Ford Kenya,” said the Bungoma Senator, who is also the Leader of Minority in the Senate and a CORD co-principal.

But ODM says this form of internal competition within CORD is unhealthy.  ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba and Chairman John Mbadi have asked Ford Kenya to respect other coalition members.

“Our agenda as the opposition is to market ourselves against Jubilee. But that seems not to be Ford Kenya’s agenda. Ford Kenya should respect ODM. We need to re-evaluate ourselves and see if we are still on course,’’ said Mbadi.

“My advice to Wetang’ula is that leadership is not given on a silver platter. One has to earn political capital first then people will automatically endorse him. Let us not destroy the opposition. It is not good for him to fight leaders in his backyard,’’ said Namwamba.

But Ford Kenya MPs Simiyu Eseli, Wafula Wamunyinyi and Chris Wamalwa have allayed fears that their aggressive campaign will wreck CORD unity.

“Our motive is to strengthen CORD in the region. It is time for our people to decamp from ODM and join Ford Kenya,” said Wamunyinyi.

Elusive unity

Yesterday, Wetang’ula addressed a rally in Tongaren before flying to Malava in Kakamega County for another meeting. He will be in Kiminini constituency today.

The Bungoma senator has not been afraid to venture into Busia County, ODM’s stronghold in western. He has also made several inroads into Kakamega where he launched his 2017 presidential bid two weeks ago.

His ventures into Kakamega have rubbed several ODM leaders the wrong way, with ODM deputy party leader and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya accusing him of misleading residents and being dishonest.

“Why should a coalition partner ask locals to ditch ODM and join Ford Kenya? That statement goes against the spirit of the coalition and raises questions about Wetang’ula’s commitment to CORD,’’ said Oparanya.

Namwamba has warned the Ford Kenya leader not to rock the CORD boat from within.

“Ambitions must be pursued within a context. Wetang’ula should not pursue his ambition in a manner that will rock the coalition from within. He needs CORD and rest of Kenyans to realise his dream,’’ said the Budalang’i MP.

Barrack Muluka, a political pundit,  attributed the Luhya community inability to coalesce around a political block to interference by   external forces.

“When the community plans to unite, divisions always emerge and outsiders take advantage because of lack of a clear leader. In this scenario, it is not working against Wetang’ula but against the entire mulembe nation,” said Muluka.

However, Prof Amukowa Anangwe terms Wetang’ula’s efforts to consolidate the Western vote into Ford Kenya’s basket as an exercise in futility. “Western needs to consolidate itself for 2022 because it will be a transition moment and our presidential candidates can have a voice. For 2017 they need to rally behind Uhuru or Raila as a swing vote,’’ he said.

Muluka says Oparanya’s attitude on Wetangula’s bid to rally the Luhya vote reflects Raila’s wish to retain the status quo in western.

“Oparanya is worried because if Ford Kenya positions itself as the main party  in western, ODM candidates will lose in the 2017 polls. Oparanya speaking is the voice of Raila,’’ he said.