'Orange party will not be burnt from within'

By Augustine Oduor

Metropolitan Assistant Minister Elizabeth Ongoro has said ODM will not allow the party to be burnt from within.

Ms Ongoro said all avenues will be explored by the party to restore sanity by removing elements seen as ‘obstacles’ to the reform process in the country.

In reference to the raging party woes following the move to expel MPs Aden Duale and Isaack Ruto, she said the party had had enough after three years of insults from the legislators.

"I think as a party we have said it is enough. It is different to say one thing once but persistence on the thing is a different issue altogether," she said.

Addressing journalists in her office yesterday, she said the MPs have for many years said they were not obligated to heed ODM policies and time had come to put an end to the mess. "This move will not fail. We are citing the Political Parties Act and we as a party are keen to clean the house," she said.

She said in doing so, the party was not applying double standards. "What we are dealing with is not something that sprouted the other day. These people have consistently chosen to oppose party policies for many years and that has not been good for the party. This time they have to go," she said.

She said the party leadership has been tolerant and now wants to restore legitimacy and respect that has been washed away by the rebels.

"This is a democratic party. We leave it to Kenyans to decide its fate. But it is wrong for others to think that once they walk out, the party will collapse," she added.