Raila Odinga's stance on ODM confuses friends and foes

ODM Party leader Raila Odinga in Akala Siaya County. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard] It is a party that has been the backbone of his political successes and strengths for nearly two decades and which has strengthened his political influence across the country. But as ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga's political life take a new turn, tough questions remain on whether he will finally hand over ODM. His actions, talks, and messages from his closest allies signal that Raila is not ready just yet to leave ODM and chart a new political path from a party he holds close to his heart. This is happening as the pressure for him to quit local politics and focus on his ambitions for the African Union Commission (AUC) bid is gaining momentum. At a time when many have been hoping to see a decline in his involvement in ODM affairs as his campaigns for AU seat gather momentum, Raila has gone into overdrive to strengthen ODM. The Sunday Standard has established the ODM chief is preparing his troops for party elections scheduled for next month and is also working to ensure that his party remains strong. So dedicated is Raila that in the last two weeks, he has intensified his party activities, traversing some areas where he enjoys huge support to drum up support for the opposition and his party. His message to his supporters is one: "I am not going anywhere". This week, Raila moved to rejuvenate the party's grassroots support in Western and North Eastern regions and mobilised his supporters to enlist as party members. Similarly, barely a week ago, the ODM chief also pitched tent in Nyanza where he drummed up support for the party and also maintained that he is not going anywhere. The beehive of party activities saw him visit Siaya, Homa Bay and Kisii counties where he maintained that the opposition will remain strong. Observers and his allies believe that a strong ODM is a powerful bargaining tool that Raila is unwilling to let go of just yet. Political commentator Joshua Nyamori opines that the party is at the centre of Raila's political interests. "Raila uses ODM to leverage when negotiating for his interest and that is one thing he cannot let go. He probably thinks that if he loses ODM then he loses that leverage," says Nyamori. The lawyer claims that he does not expect Raila to turn his back on ODM because the party is the force that brings his competitors to the negotiating table. Lawyer Bruce Odeny also argues that the ODM leader still needs to negotiate with the government to help him with the campaigns. He opines that Raila still needs the clout of the opposition head to negotiate with the government to back his candidature for the African Union Commission chairman seat. "Raila is keeping his cards close to his chest and that is why he saying he is not quitting," Odeny says. His allies maintain that he will continue to lead them even if he heads to AU and that the structures he has built in ODM will make the party continue to thrive. On Wednesday, Raila hinted that former governors and his deputies in the party Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya will steer the party in his absence. However, there are fears that a move to hand over the party to his troops will expose Raila and reduce his bargaining powers against Kenya Kwanza. Critics also believe that it will expose some of his allies who have been riding on his wave to survive the country's political battles. For a man expected to change his political goals and focus on continental politics, his activities in the last few days appear to show that he still holds ODM close to his heart. In Homa Bay, Raila's decision to endorse party chairman John Mbadi for another shot at the Suba South parliamentary seat has irked critics and some of his supporters. Yesterday, members of the Suba Council of Elders urged Raila to focus on AU politics and stop engaging in the area politics. This is after Raila opened an all-out political battle to ensure Mbadi unseats area MP Caroli Omondi, who is deemed to have betrayed the party. Meanwhile, the Suba Council of Elders expressed their dissatisfaction with Raila's involvement in Suba South Constituency politics. In a press statement read by their coordinator Joab Ikawa, the elders told Raila to focus on his African Union Commission bid. Addressing journalists in Sindo town, the elders argued that Odinga had acquired the stature of an international politician. "We wish Raila success in his quest to become the next chairperson of AUC. We urge him to focus on continental campaigns instead of being dragged to Kirundu (backward village) fights by politicians who cry Baba Sewa (Baba save us)."

Raila Odinga's stance on ODM confuses friends and foes

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