Namwamba's political future remains a nightmare

Ababu Namwamba, once ODM party’s fiercest political figure whose influence drew massive support in the party and one of the former closest allies to former PM Raila Odinga has for the second time buried his political future in hot dust immediately he announced to support Jubilee administration in the coming polls.

 

The flamboyant Budalangi MP and former ODM Secretary General was seen at a jubilee rally vowing to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s second term re-election bid.

 

Namwamba, who among other key leaders, were the brains behind the formation of a strong ODM party that has Kenya’s largest number of supporters. However he has dismally lost the once celebrated status.

 

As ODM’s “Jenerali” Namwamba became Kenya’s favorite political figure as his high political verve drew much support for the party in the country especially among the youths. As days drew closer to campaigns, he steadfastly decamped from ODM party claiming persistent frustrations among other party figures. This later pestered him join Labour Party of Kenya (LPK), a party associated with Julia Ojiambo.

 

He was quoted in most of his rallies saying that his quest to decamp from ODM party was a result of pressure and bad governance within the party structures. He also allegedly confessed that he neither was interested in working with ODM nor Jubilee Party but instead he was focusing on forming Kenya’s formidable movement that would spearhead great change in the country.

These moves rose eyebrows among his supporters especially among the Mulembe Nation where he was gradually becoming a political commanding voice. Suspicions emerged that he was working behind Ruto’s ‘brown envelope’ which was meant to lure him into the Jubilee administration.

 

Namwamba openly distanced himself from the allegations but his ‘stand’ was shortly shortchanged by the outspoken DP William Ruto who confessed in a rally that he had worked hard to fish out Namwamba from O the Opposition’s camp. This was not enough to link Namwamba to Jubilee. But everything came out in the open when one day, during a coast rally, he praised the Jubilee administration for their good performance records.

 

Namwamba was quoted bitterly blaming ODM party for frustrating his close ally Paul Otuoma alias Eifumbushe. The primaries’ outcome favored the incumbent governor Mr. Sospeter Ojaamong hence forcing Otuoma to compete as an independent candidate.

 

Namwamba’s actions have created a lot questions among Mulembe people whose majority support is for NASA. According to some political pundits, Namwamba’s move to Jubilee party is a poor decision that is likely to cost his political future. I recall back then, his prospects had been very bright; now they are the subject of speculation to add on that, Namwamba may not clinch the Budalangi seat, a region of ODM diehards.

This simply means that he’s likely to remain in the political cold for the next five years in case the Opposition forms the next government. The other sweeter part for him is that incase Jubilee retains power, he’s likely to get one of the plum jobs in the government.