Raila halts replacement of Nairobi Assembly ODM leadership

ODM leader Raila Odinga has stopped the removal of two party members from their leadership positions in the county assembly

There was a plot to replace Minority Leader Elias Okumu and Minority Whip Peter Imwatok with Highrise MCA Kennedy Oyugi and Lower Savanna MCA Nicholas Okumu respectively.

Yesterday, ODM MCAs and the party’s Central Committee met at a hotel in Nairobi to deliberate on the issue.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna stated that the party had resolved to maintain the status quo with the regards to the leadership at the assembly.

Mr Sifuna said Raila had requested that the committee membership be harmonised in the next one week to ensure equity.

The secretary general further said the ODM leadership was put to task to maintain unity within the House to ensure smooth service delivery to the residents of Nairobi.

ODM ward representatives described the meeting as a much-needed sit-down to address internal party wrangles.

One MCA who requested anonymity told The Standard that ODM Nairobi chairman George Aladwa had been directed to ensure that Mr Okumu and Mr Imwatok drafted a fresh list of party members to ensure equity in committees allocation.

“Currently, Okumu is the largest beneficiary from committees having a total of seven while other members only have one committee. The party leadership directed that by next week each ODM member should belong to at least three committees,” said the source.

The MCA further said that after the new list is drafted, it would be sent to Mr Aladwa who would share it with Raila for ratification.

Imwatok is a member of five committees while Geoffrey Majiwa sits on four. Kennedy Obuya, Nicholas Okumu and Kennedy Oyugi sit on one committee each.