ODM faces acid test in move to consolidate grassroots support

• POLITICS: Orange party’s nationwide grassroots mobilisation campaign gets off to a rocky start with rival camps engaging in battles as discontent among the rank and file boils over. But Raila downplays talk of internal fights saying it is normal.

The leadership of the Orange Democratic Movement faces a unity test with its nationwide grassroots mobilisation campaign off to a rocky start.

Bickering over who are bona fide party delegates, accusations of mismanagement at the Orange party headquarters and widening gaps between grassroots and national officials are some of the issues that emerged when Prime Minister Raila Odinga launched the campaign by meeting delegates from Nyanza in Homa Bay last weekend.

The day-long meeting was punctuated by fist fights, heckling, accusations and counter-accusations among the Nyanza delegates.

The apparent divisions at the grassroots level compound the challenges facing the party.

The main fault line in ODM has previously been between Mr Odinga and Agriculture minister William Ruto.

But more cracks have appeared in the last two weeks. MPs from Nyanza recently convened a press conference in Nairobi to denounce Miguna Miguna, the PM’s adviser on constitutional affairs, after he wrote an opinion article that ridiculed former President Daniel arap Moi.

Party sources said the statement did not go down well with the party leaders as they saw it as a direct assault on the PM, who has fallen out with Mr Moi over his efforts to conserve the Mau forest.

The MPs’ statement came as the PNU wing of the government waged a public campaign against Mr Miguna, questioning his nationality and eligibility to work in Kenya. Mr Miguna unsuccessfully vied for the Nyando parliamentary seat in the 2007 General Election.

The meeting held in Homa Bay last Saturday and convened by the Nyanza party coordinator Monica Amollo was held against this backdrop. It was attended by ODM chairman Henry Kosgey, secretary-general Anyang’ Nyong’o and treasurer Omingo Magara.

Mr Magara faces a by-election following the nullification of the 2007 South Mugirango parliamentary results. That by-election is expected to further complicate matters for the party.

A section of the party leadership feels Mr Magara should not be subjected to party primaries, while the ODM elections board says due process must be followed.

Speaking to the Sunday Nation by telephone, Mr Magara said he was ready to face other contestants in a free and fair nomination process.

“I don’t want direct nomination. I want to run in a fair nomination exercise. I am optimistic by the will of God and support of the people of South Mugirango that I will recapture the seat. Nothing has changed,” he said.

Nyakach MP Pollyns Ochieng has moved to court to challenge the constituency’s grassroots elections that pitted his group against that of former MP Peter Odoyo, a move that has angered the party’s top brass.

Other branches facing the same squabbles include Rongo and Ndhiwa.