Raila now reaches out to ODM rebels

Orange Democratic Party leader Raila Odinga appeared to soften his hard-line stand on perceived rebels, urging reconciliation and asking those who had strayed to return to the fold.

A seemingly accommodative Mr Odinga, different from the one who had threatened to expel party rebels, led other leaders in appealing for the strengthening of the Opposition for the 2017 election because “everybody will be needed in the house”.

“We want to rebuild ODM and unite it, and for the Opposition to become one family. Our opponents should leave us alone,” said Mr Odinga, who is also the leader of the Opposition, Cord.

The leaders were addressing mourners at Golini Village in Kwale County on Saturday during the burial of Mrs Terezia Kadzo Zani, the mother of nominated ODM Senator Agnes Zani.

Secretary-General designate Ababu Namwamba said the party must remain united ahead of 2017, adding that every member was important.

“We are telling Jubilee that they will not get any of our members and so they must stop salivating,” said Mr Namwamba, who was last weekend proposed to the powerful post at a National Executive Council meeting held in Naivasha last weekend.

ADHERE TO PARTY RULES

Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya said that if ODM put its house in order, Jubilee would not be able to take advantage and demolish it. 

He added that the unity quest of Coast leaders was still on course to tackle issues like insecurity, a view supported by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho.

The calls for unity were echoed by Rabai MP Kamoti Mwamkale, Mombasa Woman Representative Mishi Juma and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti.   

The declaration at the Coast was significant considering that the region is home to some of the perceived rebels, among them Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro, who was replaced as Cord Chief Whip by Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu.

Dr Zani said those breaking the party “are those outside ODM, not those inside.” Dr Zani’s mother, who died on November 20, was a co-author of the popular Masomo Ya Msingi textbooks for primary schools.

She was also a former commissioner at the Teachers Service Commission and a pioneer women’s rights leader. 

At the same time, leaders cautioned the perceived rebels that even after being brought back home, they must adhere to the party principles and promote its agenda.

SECONDNEC MEETING
Kwale Woman Representative Zainab Chidzuga, who was seen as the rebels’ representative at the gathering told Mr Odinga that she and her counterparts were in the party to stay. 

“Bwana (former) Prime Minister, I am ‘Corded’ and will not leave the party. Tutapambana papo hapo (we will struggle here). When I give my views, no matter how different they may seem, they are for the benefit of the party and our working closely with the government could turn out to be beneficial to you,” she said.

Hours after the burial of former Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ on Friday, Mr Odinga has called a second National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in a final effort to close the door on those opposed to the proposed line-up of officials, on Sunday.

“Dear NEC member, you are invited to attend a NEC meeting on Monday December 1 at the Orange House at 10 a.m.,” reads an invite by Secretary-General Anyang’ Nyong’o sent out early last week.

Sunday’s meeting is also meant to lay ground for a National Governing Council (NGC) slated for Friday where the officials will be endorsed.

During the burial in Mbita on Friday, an unyielding Mr Odinga told those who did not make it to the new line-up that, among others, has Gwasi MP John Mbadi as chairman, that not everybody can be a party official.

The NEC last weekend came as a surprise as party members expected activities to be suspended until after the burial of Kajwang’.

ACT OF TREACHERY
A number of MPs who are members of the Rapid Response team formed by Mr Odinga to deal with party “rebels” told the Sunday Nation in confidence that Mr Odinga found the perfect opportunity to make changes. 

“He struck while the iron was hot. You know it is easier to rally a people towards a given course when they are faced by a calamity in the magnitude of Kajwang’s death. That’s how Baba has thwarted internal rebellion; you will not hear of it again,” he said.

Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama, another perceived rebel, argues that unless Mr Odinga was capitalising on Kajwang’s death to achieve some ends, there is no other way of justifying the meeting.

“They would have stopped everything the moment Kajwang’ died.  Our customs demand that when someone dies, all other political activities are suspended during the mourning period.

We are still asking ourselves why he (Mr Odinga) could not wait,” he said, adding that Mr Namwamba ought to decline the position, arguing it was an act of treachery on the part of crafters of the list.

If the number of speakers at the funeral of Friday who voiced support for the list is anything to go by, then Mr Odinga pulled the carpet from under the feet of his detractors in the party and even those from its rival alliance, Jubilee, whose members have been mocking Mr Odinga in the face of infighting.

“I want to congratulate my brother Raila for bringing order in ODM. You know when ODM has problems, we get concerned because it undermines the strength of Cord,” Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said of the development.

POLITICAL GENIUS
Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who is among those who had initially declined to take the positions given to them saying an election was the best method of picking party officials, made an about turn when he declared, “We are now a united party.”

Those opposed to the list Funyula MP Paul Otuoma and Siaya Senator James Orengo looked subdued.

Maseno University Political Scientist Tom Mboya said that the decision to craft a new list of officials during Kajwang’s death is further proof of Mr Odinga’s political genius.

“Sad and emotional as Kajwang’s passing on was, it offered an opportunity for Mr Odinga to galvanise and energise ODM and, by extension, the Opposition, which has been in a state of slumber for some time,” Mr Mboya said.

The don says that by picking on Mr Namwamba, Mr Odinga managed to quell the dissent as he was the person around, which alternative voices in the party revolved.

But Mr Arama insists that conducting elections would however have been a better way out of the leadership impasse in ODM after an earlier attempt flopped because of bitter rivalry between opposing camps.

ODM has been dogged by vicious infighting as a group of MPs led by Mr Namwamba has been calling for elections, while an opposing camp led by Senator Zani and MPs Junet Mohamed and Opiyo Wandayi labelled them moles.

QUELLING DISSENT
Initially, what appeared as a move by Mr Odinga to quell internal revolt inadvertently opened a new can of worms for him as some of his most trusted allies trained their guns on him, citing betrayal.

MPs Mohamed, Otuoma, Governor Oparanya and Busia Woman Representative Florence Mutua turned into “rebels”. The last two politicians have since accepted the list, while some are of the idea that it does not pay to be loyal after they missed selection.

Overall, Mr Odinga appears to have done a balancing act. He gave out seats to perceived rebels to manage them.

Some observers, however, warn that this strategy may have the boomerang effect, on the basis that there exists mutual mistrust between Mr Odinga and the “rebels” that have now been awarded.

His pick of Mr Mbadi is equally viewed as a charm offensive to appease the restive south Nyanza region.

Strategically, all other regions are represented except Rift Valley whose last general standing Magerer Lang’at was hounded out of office a few weeks ago.

Reporting by Justus Wanga, Daniel Nyassy and Farouk Mwabege