Why Nyanza MPs are plotting Cord leader’s exit

Personal ambition as well as the fear that Cord might disintegrate should former Prime Minister Raila Odinga be the coalition’s presidential torchbearer are among reasons some MPs from Nyanza are increasingly feeling Mr Odinga should call it a day, the Sunday Nation has established.

It is a rather audacious decision by the lawmakers, some who are said to be Mr Odinga’s closest associates.

None of the lawmakers is, however, bold enough to tell Mr Odinga to his face about what to them is “the reality of the time” and have opted to use their colleagues from outside Luo.

The MPs are said to have met at Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka’s home in Nairobi a fortnight ago when Mr Odinga was in the US and asked him to be their spokesperson.

The reasoning is that coming from Gusiiland, a region that is a bit liberal in terms of political party membership, the repercussions might not be as dire compared to what could befall an MP from Mr Odinga’s backyard. A source who attended the meeting confided that there were more than 20 MPs at the meeting.

Mr Onyonka said early last week that the best chance Cord has of forming a government is for Mr Odinga to sacrifice his bid and support another candidate within the coalition — probably one of his co-principals.

Both Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) have been categorical that they will each lead Cord to win presidential polls in 2017. That assertion signals tough times ahead for the coalition and the MPs fear that, in case none of this happens, Cord will disintegrate.

We also established that most of the MPs see Mr Odinga as an impediment to their political ambitions and, given the fact that most of them have ridden on his name to build their political careers, it would be a tall order to stage a face-off with him in the classical meaning of “outdoing the master”.

The MPs are said to be persuaded that because Mr Odinga has made three unsuccessful stabs at the presidency, this could be an opportunity to soberly reflect on his realistic chances of winning a General Election.

Stating that he was not aware of the meeting, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor admitted there is indeed such a feeling among some MPs but said it may not be a reflection of the popular will.

“This is a feeling of some lawmakers but again you must acknowledge that this is not the feeling of the people. Mr Odinga still wields immense power here and even beyond and whoever is thinking of that is off to a steep political cliff,” he said.

Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said the MPs were working with “enemies of Cord” to pursue their agenda.

“We are very much aware of the forces that are pushing this agenda at this particular time. It’s a convergence of interests between our adversaries who would want to foment trouble in Cord, on one hand, and a handful of Luo legislators with ambitions to succeed the former PM on the other,” said Mr Wandayi.

Asking them to declare to ODM supporters the individual they have in mind to succeed Mr Odinga, Mr Wandayi said they would unmask those behind the “premature” push at an opportune time.

MOLE WITHIN THE COALITION

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar (Wiper) accuses Onyonka of being “a mole” within the coalition.

“His utterances about the Cord leader are suspect because he is playing a hidden agenda for his well-known masters,” he said adding that his Wiper party leader intended to run for the presidential seat.

Contacted, Mr Onyonka maintained his stance saying: “By telling our party leader Odinga to step aside does not mean I am against him. I’m just being realistic; he has made stabs for the presidency without success.”

In the run-up to the botched February 28 ODM elections, a group of youthful MPs revolving around Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura came out openly to advocate what they referred to as “the need for fresh blood to revitalise ODM” ahead of the 2017 polls. They were accused of being over-ambitious.

Suna East MP Junet Mohammed has castigated attempts to replace Mr Odinga, saying the persons pushing for such an agenda are “day-dreaming”.

The politics of succession has equally been resisted by Nyando MP Fred Outa, who has warned that the re-emergence of such calls was diversionary.