ODM rivalry plays out in Eala elections

The bitter rivalry in ODM played out on Thursday as MPs elected nine members to the regional parliament.

The party’s rebel MPs, together with their allies in PNU, lived up to their promise to reject nominees to the East African Legislative Assembly said to be allied to Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, the party Chief Whip, accused the MPs of practising tribal politics and setting a bad precedent ahead of the next elections.

It was the first time the MPs were directly electing their counterparts to the Arusha-based Parliament.

The elections were supervised by Speaker Kenneth Marende with National Assembly Clerk Patrick Gichohi as the Returning Officer.

Government Chief Whips Midiwo and Johnstone Muthama (PNU), acted as agents.

The nine MPs will be sworn in next Tuesday when the mandate of the new Parliament starts. They were expected to be gazetted last night.

The names will be taken to Arusha by Mr Gichohi and the two whips on Sunday.

The MPs allied to former ODM deputy leaders William Ruto (Eldoret North) and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, had met on the eve of Thursday's elections to strategise on how to vote.

Although they are technically out of ODM, they had complained that they were not consulted when the party picked its nine nominees.

The MPs allied to the United Republican Party (URP) of Mr Ruto and Mr Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum (UDF) and their friends were accused of plotting the rejection of Mr Ronald Ng’eny, a nominated councillor from Bomet and Mr Odinga’s ally.

They were also accused of scheming to reject the nomination of Mr Peter Odoyo, a former Nyakach MP.

“There is no need to vote down somebody just because he is presumed to be a Raila person,” said Mr Midiwo soon after the results were announced.

However, Ms Nancy Abisai, an opponent of Mr Mudavadi from his Sabatia constituency, received overwhelming support from the House with 106 of the 130 votes cast.

It was a tight race for the Narc-Kenya slot with Ms Catherine Kimura, an outgoing Eala MP, tying on 58 votes with former ambassador to Saudi Arabia Abubakar Abdi Ogle.

Mr Marende ordered a repeat vote in which Mr Ogle, a journalist, emerged victorious with 81 votes against Ms Kimura’s 25. He is from Wajir County.

From Mombasa County, ODM picked a former commissioner of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, Mr Abubakar Zein Abubakar. He got 70 votes.

ODM also picked former MP Joseph Kiangoi who garnered 108 votes. Mr Kiangoi, a lawyer, is from Nyamira County in Nyanza.

ODM officials Mumbi Ng’aru from Kiambu County and Judith Pareno from Kajiado County were also elected.

Mrs Sarah Bonaya, from Marsabit County, was unanimously elected for a second term. She got 125 votes and was the only Kanu nominee.

The other nominees of the PNU affiliate parties were Mr Peter Mathuki of ODM-K and Mr Saoli ole Nkanae of PNU.

Mr Mathuki is from Machakos County, while Mr Nkanae is from Narok County.