Over 1,000 supporters of Deputy President William Ruto and his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) on Wednesday defected to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and declared their support for Raila Odinga.
At a function convened by Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati and his Kitutu Chache South counterpart Richard Onyonka, the defectors also pledged their support for the two, who are seeking the Kisii governorship and Senate seats respectively.
The defectors, dressed in ODM caps and T-shirts, vowed to henceforth promote Mr Odinga’s political agenda, and preach the Azimio la Umoja slogan.
The group, which met at Alexandria Hotel in Kisii town, also pledged their support for Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who they said is their son and had done a lot to improve Gusii through development projects.
Ms Mogire Nyatichi, a key supporter of the Deputy President, is one of the defectors. She was among dozens of Ruto supporters arraigned in court recently after they were arrested at the home of Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi for holding an illegal gathering.
She was also the chairlady for 'Wasupa Na Ruto' in Kisii County and was arrested in Menyinkwa during a UDA registration drive.
Another defector is Mr Rogers Onyancha, who said he had thrown his weight behind the former Prime Minister and Mr Arati and will henceforth campaign for them.
Mr Arati said Gusii will no longer be duped to follow the DP’s “hustler” politics, saying those pretending to be hustlers are rich men and women who are only out to exploit the poor through their falsehoods.
“I have a vehicle worth over Sh10 million and I cannot call myself a hustler. But those advancing the hustler narrative want us to believe that they are poor yet they own property worth millions and billions of shillings,” Mr Arati said.
The lawmaker told Gusii residents not to be duped anymore, noting that they are safer in Mr Odinga’s hands.
He told the defectors that they will still be sought by their former party but cautioned them not to heed their call.
“Just go there and eat and return to ODM. Do not lose your head while there. Remember to return home to ODM,” he said.
Mr Arati and Mr Onyonka told Gusii residents to reject elderly leaders who were seeking to be re-elected in different leadership positions in the county.
They cited Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri, Transport Chief Administrative Secretary Chris Obure and Governor James Ongwae, urging them to retire.
Mr Arati, in a scathing attack on Governor Ongwae, said he had done little to develop the county, noting that most of the projects initiated by him had stalled.
“The avocado, soapstone, banana and sugarcane factories have all stalled. He will leave office with those incomplete projects. We have requested that a Sh200 million loan for the construction of a cancer centre not be released,” Mr Arati said.
He told Kisii residents to send Mr Ongwae and his cronies to their retirement peacefully, noting that the county is ready for younger leaders.
Mr Onyonka said that they are ready to bring new leadership to the county, noting that people need services and development.
“For a long time, we have lacked good leadership in our county. Most projects have stalled. We will complete those projects once elected,” Mr Onyonka said.
Mr Arati has in the past two months held massive campaign meetings across the county, telling residents to reject the current county leaders over what he calls mismanagement of county affairs and ODM party issues.
Mr Arati’s insistence on rattling the county leadership has caused a major split in ODM in Gusii, with delegates now torn between him and Governor Ongwae.
Mr Ongwae and Mr Arati have recently held a series of parallel meetings with delegates allied to them, in what appears to be a contest of who has more say in Orange House.
ODM delegates allied to Mr Ongwae, Prof Ongeri and Woman Representative Janet Ong'era said they do not recognise the offices opened by Mr Arati.
Mr Arati opened 11 ODM offices across the county, parallel to those opened by the party leadership in Kisii.
Sources indicate that Mr Arati has the blessings of the party leader, Mr Odinga.
Then there was loud silence, followed by murmuring and eventually cheering from the crowd as they lauded Mr Arati for his ‘brave’ speech in front of Mr Odinga.
Mr Arati told Mr Odinga that there is a group of ‘crooked’ people in Gusii, locally known as ‘Chinkondi’, who have over the years led to ODM’s failure in the region.
“Baba, allow me to say this. In Kisii there are people we call Chinkondi. Chinkondi in English is the crooked group of people in our community. These are the people who made us not to get even one member of Parliament as ODM, both in Nyamira and in Kisii. This time round, these Chinkondi, we are fixing them,” he said as the audience applauded him.
On the ODM offices he opened, Mr Arati on Wednesday said they were for residents and apart from offering voter registration and ID application services, they have an internet connection that young people can use to apply for passports and US green cards, among others.
“Those are ODM offices which we have opened in all the sub-counties. We know people were hired to bring down our banners. But we will not allow that,” Mr Arati said.
Last week, supporters of Ms Ong’era were up in arms against Mr Arati and his supporters, saying they were using threats and intimidation to harass them.
“We are being arrested by police because Mr Arati and his team have decided to harass us allegedly because we pulled down his banners,” said Ms Ong’era’s supporters, who were flanked by three lawyers at the Nyangusu Police Station.
“Those are not ODM offices. He is campaigning, which is against electoral rules. We will not be intimidated. Let him go back to Nairobi where he belongs.”
