‘Rebels’ warm up to ODM after polls showdown

ODM rebels are plotting their way back to the party mainstream after an excruciating defeat in the Homa Bay senate by-election last month.

The by-election exposed divisions within the party with some openly going against the party position and campaigning for other candidates.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has met party leader Raila Odinga.

Mr Odinga and Mr Kidero met on February 18 where the Nairobi Governor volunteered to spearhead resource mobilisation for the party’s Kajiado Parliamentary by-election campaigns.

“He came, had a meeting with the former prime minister and apologised for going against the party. He is now back in the fold,” said a top ODM official.

After the meeting with Mr Odinga, ODM’s Director of Elections Junet Mohammed announced: “This morning a NEC meeting held at Orange house proposed me as the chairman of the committee to spearhead the Kajiado Central by-election.”

“Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero will be the chair of the resource mobilisation committee while Dr Noah Akala is the secretary to the committee.”

On Saturday, Karachuonyo MP James Rege told the Sunday Nation he is back in the party, adding that he will be in Kajiado Central on Thursday to campaign for Mr Memusi ole Kanchory.

“When we campaigned for Philip Okundi in Homa Bay, that did not mean we had left ODM. We were simply protesting about a perennial behaviour that can bring down our party. That case is now over. We are in ODM and we are going to support Mr Kanchory, our Kajiado Central candidate, because the party conducted a transparent nomination there,” said Mr Rege.

He said claims that some ODM MPs were moles and rebels were unfortunate, blaming some ODM newcomers for coming up with the propaganda to undermine their colleagues.

Ndhiwa MP Agostinho Neto and Kabondo Kasipul’s Silvance Osele have also made attempts to get back into the fold.

Mr Neto last month donated Sh30,000 to support Mr Moses Kajwang’s campaign at a fundraiser presided over by Mr Odinga while Mr Osele volunteered to supervise the election in his constituency on the election day.

YET TO RETURN

Rangwe MP George Oner, his Kisumu counterpart Ken Obura, and Mbita’s Milly Odhiambo are the three perceived rebels who are yet to show attempts to return to the fold.

Last week, Millie Odhiambo triggered the latest war of words by describing some of her colleagues as “diaper” politicians.

Ms Odhiambo is among the four MPs from Homa Bay accused of having failed to campaign for Mr Kajwang.

Last Tuesday, she accused three ODM colleagues of witch-hunt and dared them to “bring” a by-election in her constituency.

She accused ODM national chairman John Mbadi, women’s representative Gladys Wanga and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma of being behind her woes, including plans by the party leadership to discipline her and other perceived rebels.

Last Sunday during the burial of acting Homa Bay ODM chairperson Monica Amolo, leaders demanded that politicians who did not campaign for Mr Kajwang be disciplined.

Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang started it all after he told party chairman John Mbadi that there was no need to extend an olive branch to the “rebels”.

“There is no way we can talk of forgiving those who gave us a headache during the by-election by campaigning for our opponents,” Mr Kajwang had said.

“We would rather have a few loyal supporters than have many pretenders,” said nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro.

Mr Kaluma dared the rebels to form their own parties and face ODM in 2017.

The sentiments drew overwhelming support from hundreds of mourners who, at some point, rejected a proposal by Mrs Ida Odinga to allow the rebels back into the fold.

Mr Odinga, having gauged the mood of the mourners, directed party chairman Mbadi to take appropriate action.

Mr Odinga had said that the recent Homa Bay senatorial by-election had enabled the party to tell loyal members from rebels.