Storm in Raila Odinga’s party intensifes as factions prepare for battle

NAIROBI, KENYA: The factional wars in ODM stirred up again, stoked by the attempted coup that further complicates efforts by party leader Raila Odinga to rebuild the vehicle for his fourth stab at the presidency.

Activist Wafula Buke’s declaration that he had ousted embattled Magerer Langat as Executive Director offered the warring camps fodder for a fresh round of battles.

The bare-knuckled attack on Secretary General Anyang Nyong’oy Funyula MP Paul Otuoma who claimed the former was the problem in the party, highlighted the extent of the cracks.

And the latest incident, coming on the back of the violent attack on Magerer, rising dissent in the party from a group suggesting Raila paves the way for young blood, and the bungled February party polls, triggered a new wave of claims that there were pro-Jubilee ‘moles’ in the Orange party.

Thursday, Magerer left for the Coast where he held a meeting at the Serena Beach Hotel with three leaders styling themselves as frontrunners of a new path away from the Raila axis.

The meeting with Magerer, Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua (Wiper), Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba (ODM) and Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro (ODM) was seen as carrying plenty of political symbolism.

Mr Mung’aro is leading a wing of Coast MPs that have rebelled against Raila and Ababu — the latter was a favourite for the post of Secretary General before the ODM polls were scuttled by the infamous ‘Men in Black’ — at one point harshly rebuked the ODM leader.

They posted a photo on social media of them sitting on the lawns of the coastal resort. When asked about the meeting by The Standard, Dr Mutua, who is uneasy about events in his party led by Raila’s CORD co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka, replied: “It was just a meeting of minds, the future.”

Another ODM group coalescing around Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero that is calling for change in ODM’s leadership is headed for Kisii County this weekend.

Crucially, Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka, who recently endorsed Dr Kidero for the ODM ticket, is hosting the governor at a fundraiser where Mr Nambwamba and the latest rebel, Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura, have been invited.

Thursday, Mr Otuoma said Mr Buke was right to declare himself Magerer’s replacement because he acted on behalf of other members who feel frustrated by what is currently happening in ODM.

“The buck stops with Nyong’o but he should not promote partisan politics in the party. He has been a secretary general for too long and the party is divided. Magerer had his own staff, making other members spectators. He was an employee and if he failed to perform, let him be replaced so that we have order in the party we have worked tirelessly to build and that we cannot sit and watch crumble,” Otuoma said.

“There is too much latitude given to people who are not discharging their duties and this is becoming a liability. The party leader cannot be handling every small aspect of the party management. The problem is Anyang Nyong’o who has failed to crack the whip and allowed the secretariat to hold the party to ransom. He has allowed factions even within the party. The fiasco at Kasarani was caused by failures of the secretariat, but he can’t act,” he added.

But nominated Senator Janet Ong’era said: “You cannot brand one a mole and the next day you brand another. How long will this go on? This  hooliganism must stop, failure to which I will call a meeting of leaders from Kisii to chart our way forward.”

DIEHARD SUPPORTERS

Thursday, Nyong’o met with the party secretariat and read them the riot act, saying the staff were only employees and he was the only spokesperson.

But he reaffirmed that Magerer remained the executive director until the party’s National Executive Council decided otherwise. However, a defiant Buke insisted he was the bona fide acting party chief, going to the extent of releasing a statement he signed as “acting Executive Director”.

“The youth and patriots in general will learn that Raila needs help by diehard supporters with and or without his direction to win the presidency in 2017 and save this country,” Buke said.

Magerer said he was not willing to return to Orange House because there was no guarantee of security and “it’s not tenable to work in a place that has been taken over by goons”.

“I have no intention of going back to ODM. I will pursue the matter in court,” Magerer said.

“No one has even explained to me what happened to me and MCAs have only been told to apologise to the party, yet I am the offended party,” he told The Standard from Mombasa.

And speaking to The Standard from London, Butere MP Andrew Toboso said: “You don’t declare yourself an official. That post is given to you by the party. If there’s a decision to replace Magerer, it must conform to party rules and happen through the right mechanisms.”

Ndhiwa MP Agostino Neto and Wajir Woman Representative Fatima Ali alleged Buke was being used to wreak havoc in the party.

“We condemn any form of violence be it verbal or physical witnessed at our party secretariat. We have our constitution and cannot allow coups engineered by people being used by outside forces,” Mr Neto told the Press in Mombasa Thursday.

But Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said they had already put party rebels on notice.

“I can assure you that this matter will be settled in the courts of public opinion. It will not be a walk in the park for them,” said Mr Wandayi.

“We already have a list of rebels and we will act soon,” said Nyando MP Fred Outa.

Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma claimed his colleague Ken Obura, who said the Luo community should work with Jubilee, had visited Deputy President William Ruto at his Karen home.

DIVERGENT VIEWS

Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati said: “This is democracy when our members express divergent views but at the end of it, all of us are committed to one party course,” he said.

“This is called turbulence in the Opposition and we will get out of it and the plane will navigate. The plane is still on course,” Suna East MP Junet Mohamed told The Standard from Europe.

(Report by Geoffrey Mosoku, Steve Mkawale, Grace Wekesa, Benard Sanga and Rushdie Oudia.)