ODM leaders warn those who defected to Jubilee of defeat

ODM leader Raila Odinga has put on notice politicians who have defected to the new Jubilee Party, cautioning them that their political careers are over.

He singled out Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and those who defected to the new Jubilee Party from ODM, saying they had no grassroots support and would be thrown out by voters in the General Election next year.

“Jubilee has become an auction and they are buying leaders but the people are with ODM and will not agree to go with such leaders who have been bought,” Mr Odinga told thousands of supporters who had converged at Mombasa’s Mama Ngina Drive to celebrate the party’s 10th anniversary.

Speaking before Mr Odinga took to the podium, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, who is ODM's deputy party leader, warned Mr Mvurya and a group of MPs led by Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro that they would not be elected next year.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, Mombasa Women Rep Mishi Mboko and her Kilifi counterpart Aisha Jumwa did not have kind words for their rebellious colleagues either, predicting their defeat “because Coast is strongly behind ODM”.

Mr Joho warned those ditching the party and the opposition that they would not make it through the government party.

“We should learn from history where leaders like Chirau Mwakwere, Morris Dzoro, Najib Balala, Kazungu Kambi, among others, defected to the government. Where are they today? I am telling those leaving, including my brother Mvurya, that they, too, will disappear politically,” he said.

He warned Mr Mung’aro, Mr Mwashetani and other rebel MPs from the region that they would be voted out.

Mr Kingi warned that Kilifi County was “Jubilee’s slaughter house”, saying he wondered why the Jubilee supporters would not learn from the Malindi March by-election where ODM candidate William Mtengo beat Jubilee’s Philip Charo.

He said that Jubilee cannot be voted for in the area because it had failed to implement devolution and address historical injustices including landlessness.

He described the Jubilee Party as “the biggest enemy of development”.

THANK YOU JOHO

When he took to the podium, Mr Odinga dismissed the Jubilee merger accusing President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto of killing devolution and bringing back the “old days of Kanu’s one party state”.

“The Jubilee Government does not have a clear vision of how to actualise devolution. They have perpetuated the art of stealing, corruption, tribalism and all manner of injustices. Jubilee has proved that it cannot bring development,” he added.

“When we said that the IEBC should go, you backed us. Now IEBC is history and the only thing remaining is for you to support us and kick the Jubilee government out,” he said, adding that the freedoms that were being enjoyed after the enactment of the 2010 Constitution were as a result of the spirited fight ODM had put up.

The Cord leader, who was accompanied by his wife Ida and more than 30 politicians including governors and MPs from various parts of the country, joined Mr Joho and Mr Kingi in dismissing the recent visit by Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to the region, saying it was inconsequential and the party was not threatened.

Mr Odinga spoke as his party’s leaders endorsed him to be the party’s flagbearer in the General Election next year.

The declaration was made by the party’s deputy leader Hassan Joho flanked by his counterpart and Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

Mr Oparanya also praised Mr Joho for the work he had done for ODM, saying the governor had popularised the party throughout the county.

“I am one of those who founded ODM and I have remained with the party. We will continue being in ODM because it is the party that brought devolution. Those who have seen tarmac roads for the first time it is because of ODM,” Mr Oparanya said.

“I am made to understand that Mr Mvurya has crossed over to Jubilee claiming the government has brought development. This shows that he has failed in his work and he wants the government to work for him, which is a shame,” he added.

Ms Mboko said the celebrations were to launch Mr Odinga’s 2017 presidential bid.

She declared: “Today we are launching MV Raila Amolo Odinga Ikulu, Raila for 2017”.

NO OTHER PARTY
Ms Jumwa urged ODM governors at the coast to “wake up to the campaign time” and start campaigns for Mr Odinga’s presidential bid instead of waiting for next year.

“Don’t talk of bringing development now when politics has begun. You have done enough development and you should now wake up and start campaigning,” she said.

Siaya Senator James Orengo said Mr Odinga deserved to be the flagbearer because he had done a lot including fighting for the new Constitution.

His Turkana counterpart Josephat Nanok said that the rebels would be doomed.

The leaders criticised the Jubilee administration for allegedly buying opposition leaders and dismissed its development agenda in the coast.

Mr Joho rubbished Deputy President William Ruto’s announcement of giving the coast Sh700 million for the health sector, saying his county spends Sh2 billion each financial year.

“Mr Ruto brags everywhere he goes that the government has given Sh700 million for the coast health sector. But this is Kenyans’ tax and contained in a 10-year programme. My government spends Sh2 billion annually for the sector. His money is therefore not making any impact,” he said.

Mr Kingi criticised Mr Ruto for saying he had brought cash for water in the coast because the commodity was a devolved function.

Mr Oparanya urged Kenyans to support ODM, which had brought devolution that took development to all corners of the country.

“It is not Jubilee bringing development but devolution. We can today see roads, water and other developments. Let us support it,” he said.

Reports by Gitonga Marete, Daniel Nyassy and Mwakera Mwajefa