Minority Ilchamus cry foul over slots, threaten to ditch ODM

Ilchamus spokesman Amos ole Mpaka (left) with ODM leader Raila Odinga on December 14, 2011. The minority Ilchamus who live in Baringo have threatened to ditch ODM for what Mr Ole Mpaka says is being side-lined them in nominations despite supporting the party for long. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

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They said they had been locked out of ODM nomination slots, especially those for the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).

Members of the minority Ilchamus community have threatened to ditch the ODM party after it side-lined them in nominations despite supporting it for long.

They said they have nothing to show for standing with the political party for more than a decade.

“Despite residents in other parts of Rift Valley ditching ODM for the Jubilee Party a long time ago, our community has continued to support the ideals of the Orange party. We feel our political allegiance has been taken for granted,” Mr Amos ole Mpaka, the group’s spokesman, told a press conference in Eldoret yesterday.

The community — who live in Baringo South — said they had been locked out of ODM nomination slots, especially those for the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala).

“My nomination to Eala, for which I applied, would have given my community hope of political representation,” said Mr Ole Mpaka, who unsuccessfully vied for the Baringo South parliamentary seat on an ODM ticket.

“The move by ODM has exposed my community to systematic marginalisation, both at the county and national levels,” he added.

The community said it is represented by only two individuals. Both are members of the county assembly, one from ODM and the other from the Jubilee Party.