ODM abandoned me - Irshad Sumra

By Ishaq Jumbe | 5yrs ago | 2 min read

Irshad Sumra, the immediate Embakasi South MP and ODM parliamentary aspirant in the just concluded by-elections, is somewhere in Mombasa soaking his troubles away.

He says he needs peace and quiet with his family to reflect on his recent loss to Wiper’s Julius Mwawathe.

Sumra says the ODM brigade neglected him at his hour of need.

“The so-called generals and the entire brigade of ODM, I mean elected governors, senators, MP’s and MCAs all left me to fight my battle alone on the fateful day,” he told The Nairobian.

The outspoken MP said the handful of marshals he had employed could not rival his opponent’s well-oiled wiper outfit which is accused of greasing voters’ palms.

“They were all there, together with tangatanga, dishing bribes to voters left, right and centre and we could not do anything but stare in disbelief,” he says.

According to Sumra, even though Team Tangatanga invested millions into Mwawathe’s campaign, he could have made a powerful statement had the ODM brigade been there to support him.

Despite the disappointment with ODM, Sumra has no beef with Raila Odinga and the Orange House officials who offered their support throughout the campaign period.

“The ODM Executive Director and his officials from Orange House were super and contributed a lot but the elected members simply refused to show up when I needed them most,” he said.

Adding that ODM has been known to move like the wildebeest with overwhelming force and a matching show of might, he felt abandoned, alone and left to fight his battles on his own.

Sumra, who conceded defeat to Wiper’s Julius Mwawathe, blamed Embakasi residents for voting for his opponent despite his track record in the constituency.

All the same, Sumra says people love him for his open door policy which makes him approachable and that he has been doing maendeleo and service to the community for a long time now.