Top ODM leaders caught up in wrangles among MCAs

The fallout between a section of disgruntled Nairobi County ODM ward reps and the party’s assembly leadership is threatening to drive a wedge between two top leaders.

In what might prove to be a litmus test to the party, the row has escalated to the party’s top leadership pitting ODM Chair John Mbadi and the Executive-Director Oduor Ong’wen, with each reading from a different script.

REPLACED

This comes after Mr Mbadi replaced the assembly’s Minority Leader Elias Otieno (Kileleshwa MCA) and Minority Chief Whip Peter Imwatok (Makongeni MCA) with Highrise ward rep Kennedy Oyugi and Lower Savanna’s Nicholas Okumu respectively in a letter dated October 25.

But Mr Ong’wen on Wednesday overruled a decision by Mr Mbadi, who had given a seal of approval on the leadership change at the assembly, maintaining that the status quo be preserved.

He wrote to county assembly acting Speaker Chege Mwaura informing him that the matter is being discussed by the relevant party organ and ‘a comprehensive response will be communicated to you’.

“In view of the foregoing, I am advised to advise you that pending the contemplated communication, the status quo shall be preserved,” read in part the letter dated October 31.

The letter was copied to National Assembly Minority Leader, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, Nairobi Assembly acting Clerk, Mr Otieno, Mr Imwatok, Mr Oyugi and Mr Okumu.

PARTISAN

But the assembly’s new leadership led by Imara Daima MCA Ken Obuya rubbished Mr Ong’wen’s letter, maintaining that they are the face of ODM at the assembly.

“We condemn the letter by the executive-director. We will exhaust institutional structures to get to office,” said Mr Obuya on Thursday.

Mr Obuya accused Mr Ong’wen of being partisan, alleging that he denied Ms Rosa Akinyi alias ‘Mama Chungwa’ her nomination slot and gave it to his wife, Mrs Oduor – a nominated MCA in Nairobi who replaced Mr Obuya at the Speaker’s Panel.

But responding to the accusations, Mr Ong’wen said: “Sorry, I am not an MCA in Nairobi so I don’t want to get involved. Please understand that the MCAs have a leadership problem and I am not part of that. I do not want to discuss the matter as the party is dealing with it and we will give a direction.”

Mr Imwatok said they will abide by the latest letter from Mr Ong’wen as they wait for a communication from the party.

LYING

“We will not allow Nairobi Assembly to go the Homa Bay and Kisumu assembly ways. I will write to the party to know the allegations against me. I will shed shed light on the same and dissuade them from the lies being peddled by the MCAS,” said the Makongeni MCA on Thursday.

He accused the disgruntled MCAs of lying, saying he has no power to institute a selection committee to do changes in assembly committees. He noted that the power rests with the majority leader, who is the chair of the committee.

“So no one can complain. Our chair has only listened to personal vendetta from seven members who believe it is their way or no way. Go to their Facebook accounts and see who they work for. No one has come to me, including our party chair, to tell me why they are removing me from the seat,” he said.

He said Mr Obuya’s appointment to the Speaker’s panel was an afterthought as Ms Oduor was the original name the party had forwarded to former Speaker Beatrice Elachi.

CENSURE MOTION

Wrangles in ODM started during the motion to impeach former Speaker Beatrice Elachi. Two ODM MCAs – Imara Daima’s Kennedy Obuya and nominated MCA Mary Arivisa – were accused by their party leadership of being against the censure motion supported by reps from both sides of the House.

Ms Arivisa did not vote during the ouster motion. He also caused drama during the voting to elect Mr Chege Mwaura as the acting Speaker when her name was proposed by Mr Imwatok as one of the candidates for the position.

What followed saw the minority leadership reshuffle the party members in all the over 20 committees of the assembly.