Raila Odinga faces fresh revolt in Homa Bay by-election

Silas Jakakimba, Senate aspirant

HOMA BAY: Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is faced with yet another dilemma in the February 12, Homa Bay Senatorial by-election as rival forces within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) battle over his involvement in the succession politics.

Raila is said to be among the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leaders who are planning to accompany Moses Kajwang, the ODM flag bearer, to present his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday. The ODM leader is also expected to drum up support for Mr Kajwang on Friday, a move that some ODM MPs and rival candidates have since protested.

Former Raila’s aide, Silas Jakakimba  who is eyeing the seat on a United Democratic Movement (UDM) ticket claimed the CORD leader “is being pushed to the wall by some ODM luminaries who even pressed him to declare his support for Moses at a time he was burying his son Fidel”.

“It is the same group of MPs who do not want to give him peace to mourn Fidel and are pushing him to go and campaign for Moses against the wishes of other MPs from Homa Bay,” he lamented.

RAILA’S ENDORSEMENT

Mr Jakakimba who on Monday accompanied Raila on a tour of the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Mausoleum at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, Bondo, said they discussed the Homa Bay by-election politics but did not divulge the details.

“The fact that Raila took so long to endorse him (Moses) is evidence that he was not from the word go impressed by the party’s National Elections Board’s decision to hand over the ticket to Moses, and neither does he he believe in his ability to lead Homa Bay people,” Jakakimba argued.

Rangwe MP George Oner accused some MPs from the region of hijacking the ODM campaigns and using the Raila factor for their own political mileage.

“Some of them (MPs) are using the by-election for their own political visibility. They want people to believe that they are more ODM than others and that they love Raila more than any other person. But the fact remains that we are all behind Raila despite that perception,” Mr Oner said.

However, speaking to The Standard, ODM National Chairman John Mbadi said Raila had confirmed attendance of political meetings to drum sup support for Mr Kajwang, adding that the party would not give in to demands by its “political detractors”.

“We are expecting Raila to be present at the prayer rallies that will be held for the ODM candidate in Homa Bay town and later in Kendu Bay on Friday,” Mbadi said.

He dismissed those asking the former premier not to campaign, saying it is his right as the party leader to back the party’s candidate.

“We have put in place strategies to ensure we consolidate support in the county to give our candidate a landslide victory and it is in the interest of the party that we go to the by-election as a united family,” Mbadi added.

While some MPs from the region were of the idea that Raila should wait for the storm caused by Kajwang’s selection to calm down before he embarks on the campaigns for the party candidate.

Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga, who is also chairing the ODM campaign team said the absence of Raila from the delegation would play in the hands of the Orange party’s political rivals who he said were out to deny ODM victory.

“The battle is between Jubilee and CORD,” Magwanga said.