Anxiety in ODM over planned changes

By Abdikadir Sugow

A storm is brewing in former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s party, with restless members urging the party leader to organise fresh elections from the grassroots.

Disquiet has also emerged regarding the overhaul and restructuring process, particularly the appointment of the ODM Executive Director, who heads the secretariat, a key central organ that oversees the party’s activities.

A section of the party membership is demanding the recruitment and appointment of a new Executive Director to replace Janet Ong’era, who was nominated a Senator on the ODM ticket, should be put on hold until fresh elections are held.

Leading the chorus of calls are a group of newly elected MPs including Tigania East’s Aburu Mpuri and a crop of young professionals and politicians, who say the new-look ODM must emerge from the grassroots.

CORD’s loss in the March 4 elections has left leaders and members reeling in shock and a state of near-paralysis, which they insist can only be cured by the organisation of free, fair and transparent party elections.

A reconstituted party national elections board, they further insist, must carry out the elections.

“A free and fair election must be done where all those interested in any leadership position will have a chance to compete fairly,” TJ Okinda, who is keen on the Secretary General’s position, told The Standard on Sunday.

“Going by the past trends in which party leaders have always pre-determined those who occupy top positions, it is clear if the current leadership is not completely overhauled, then ODM stands the risk of stagnating while our competitors march on,” he cautioned.

Poll loss

The recent presidential election loss has jolted the party. The party also suffered a major setback, losing its parliamentary majority in the National Assembly and the Senate.

Raila has pledged to lead the overhaul and restructuring of the party.

Advocating for a bottom-up approach to retain ODM’s strategic national strongholds, party members are urging CORD MPs and Senators to robustly put the Uhuru administration on toes.

“ODM and CORD is not about Raila Odinga or Kalonzo Musyoka who have immensely contributed in nation building. Time has come when we have to give space for new and fresh political leadership from among Kenyan communities so as to move forward,” Okinda says.

He added: “Raila has presided over party elections and nominations from the time of Ford-Kenya, NDP, Narc, ODM and CORD. All these nominations have not created a level playground for all the participants. Political cronies and relatives have always emerged victorious even when defeated at the nomination stage. He is unlikely to change at this late hour, going by the recent indications, but being the democrat that he claims to be, we hope he will heed our appeal.”

A seven-member team was appointed to shortlist 10 out of the 43 individuals who applied for the Executive Director’s post.

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, however, revealed the vetting team would be meeting tomorrow to short list the applicants.

Among the applicants are lobbyists Kennedy Butiko, Beth Syengo, former MP and Assistant minister Magerer Langat, Raila’s former personal assistant Caesar Asiyo, former National Social Security Fund Managing Trustee Naftali Mogere, a Raila ally from the NDP days, John Kiema from Kibwezi and Prof Colleta Suda, who has been nominated as Principal Secretary in President Kenyatta’s government.

A reputable human resource firm has been hired by the party to help carry out the exercise. Many party members feel politicians should be detached from a professional secretariat, which requires a young and vibrant leadership. 

Party primaries

“Politicians should keep off because they dominate and arm-twist the rest of the party membership, particularly during the party nominations,” says ODM Women’s League leader Beth Syengo.

She argues that current top party secretariat officials have remained biased and have been positioning their relatives and cronies into party positions at the expense of party junior officials and members.

She said women requested her to run for the post so that one of their own may serve them with the real touch of democracy, adding that party women who played major role in the elections are keenly watching the unfolding restructuring to see whether they will be left out. She accused the outgoing Executive Director, Senator Janet Ongera of not doing enough to encourage party women to prosper in leadership while she was at the helm of party organ.

“She tried but failed to give women a platform to exercise their leadership abilities,” she said.

Youth leader Rashid Mohamed said ODM has a vibrant youth and women representative wing within its own structures.