ODM interim leader Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o (left) and Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua.
Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua has clashed with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) over its “cooperation” with the administration of President William Ruto.
Ms Karua has challenged former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who has been the ODM leader for nearly two decades, to have a post-election coalition agreement with Dr Ruto instead of sitting in the government through “the backdoor.”
The Narc-K leader was Mr Odinga’s running mate during the 2022 presidential election on an Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition ticket. Dr Ruto won the race in the bitterly contested poll.
Mr Odinga has since closed ranks with the President following youth-led anti-government protests, which saw the former PM’s allies named to Dr Ruto’s broad-based government in July.
They are Hassan Joho who was appointed Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Wycliffe Oparanya (CS Ministry of Co-operatives and MSMEs Development), John Mbadi (CS National Treasury), Opiyo Wandayi (CS Energy and Petroleum) and Beatrice Askul became the minister of EAC Affairs and Regional Development.
Ms Karua’s remarks come against the backdrop of discontent in Azimio. She has signalled Narc-K’s intention to quit the coalition following ODM’s dalliance with President Ruto’s government. Other affiliate parties are mulling an overhaul of the outfit.
Ms Karua said it is not right for ODM to continue clinging onto opposition roles while riding in the same boat with President Ruto’s ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) — a constituent party of the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
“I call upon my friend and brother Raila Odinga to formalise his deal with Ruto, not through a come-we-stay marriage, but through a proper political marriage, solemnised by the Registrar of Political Parties.
“Right now, what they are doing is being less than candid by occupying crucial seats that belong to the opposition in Parliament such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Public Investment Committee,” Ms Karua said.
She accused Mr Odinga of betraying her and the opposition by joining hands with the “oppressive Ruto regime.”
New alliances
But ODM interim leader Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o — whom Mr Odinga handed the party to in October to focus on his bid for the African Union Commission chairperson’s position — said the outfit will only forge new alliances nearer to the 2027 elections.
“What we have with UDA is clearly described as a broad-based government. It is a practical arrangement whereby we are interested in encouraging the government, in theory and practice, to represent the face of Kenya both in personnel and service,” Prof Nyong’o, who is also the Kisumu governor, told Nation.
He argued that ODM simply “contributed some personnel to serve in portfolios where they are qualified under the leadership of the President, not ODM.”
“Any other party has the free will to do the same,” he added.
Ms Karua said she would lead her troops out of Azimio.
“We have a duty to protect and stand with the people. I personally felt betrayed by Raila but we grant him his right to also do what he wishes, and we too have our right, and that is why we withdrew,” she said.
ODM Deputy Party Leader Godfrey Osotsi said they are strengthening the party.
In an exclusive interview, he told Nation: “Politics is very dynamic. It changes all the time, depending on changing interests and the environment. We are saying that ODM can engage in coalition arrangements with any party, be it in government or any position. But that has not happened yet,” Mr Osotsi said.
Prof Nyong’o had also earlier indicated that the party was keen on forging “strategic partnerships,” in the wake of its key members' backing of President Ruto’s administration.
“…as a political entity, we understand the value of strategic partnerships. From time to time, we may choose to form alliances and coalitions with other parties or groups that align with our objectives and vision for Kenya.
“These partnerships are not acts of subservience but deliberate efforts to strengthen our resolve in achieving our primary goal: capturing political power to transform the lives of Kenyans,” Prof Nyong’o said.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna argues that Kenya is a multi-party democracy and parties exist to seek power.
“ODM exists to seek power in a democratic way. Since ODM was launched in 2005, I haven’t seen an election year where it has not fielded a presidential candidate.
“We are strengthening the party ahead of the 2027 election and have completed our grassroots elections at the polling station and are now heading to the Ward level,” Mr Sifuna said.
Mr Osotsi however, appeared to rule out the possibility of Mr Odinga resigning mid-way from the chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC) to vie for the top seat should he win the election in February next year.
If he wins, he shall have served two years by the time Kenyans go for the 2027 election.
The Chairperson of the Commission is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once.
Exploitation
“Our leader is a Pan-Africanist. He has an agenda for the African people and his vision for Africa is very strong on matters of infrastructure, on matters of rights of African people, on matters of exploitation of resources for Africa, economic empowerment and freedom in Africa.
“I think that's a bigger agenda for our leader to do for Africa and for Kenya and he is prepared to do that hence the issue that he will leave AUC and come back to Kenya, I think that is misplaced and propaganda being spearheaded by people who are against his candidature for African Union Commission,” Mr Osotsi told Nation.
He, however, noted that Mr Odinga’s AUC position, if he wins, will not change his role as the party’s leader and possible presidential candidature.
“…but he could still decide to sit on the bench and remain as a coach, in the 2027 election,” he added.
He went on: “You know when Raila is a coach he is more lethal than when he is a player. You saw that 2002 Kibaki Tosha moment when he took the role of a coach and you saw how we won the election overwhelmingly.
“So I want to tell our members across the country that our party leader becoming chairperson of AUC will be more beneficial to the party than what I’m hearing people say because we will now have him occupying a strategic position and that will make ODM even greater,” Mr Osotsi said.
Mr Osotsi argues; “the arrangement that we have with Kenya Kwanza is that a few of our members have been seconded to the government as individuals. They have gone there as individuals, though they are still our members.
“They have not gone there as a party and that is why they all resigned from their party positions and had to cede way for some of us to occupy those positions. So I think there is a misnomer that these individuals represent the ODM party. Though we gave them our permission to join government, it is not the ODM that has joined the government and if we join, we will do a coalition agreement, and that coalition agreement will be made public.”
Mr Odinga’s allies in the broad-based cabinet have said they were ready to stand with President Ruto in the 2027 election, lending credence to reports that Mr Odinga would back the president’s re-election.
The political foes-turned-friends, Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga, enjoy wide support across the country, having been the winner and first runner-up respectively in the 2022 presidential election, accumulating a combined total of 14.1 million votes.
President Ruto garnered 7,176,141 (50.49 percent) against Mr Odinga’s 6,942,930 (48.85 percent) in the election with their parties; United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), respectively, securing the highest number of seats in the National Assembly and Senate.
Usawa Kwa Wote Party leader Mwangi Wa Iria who backed Mr Odinga’s presidential bid in 2022 argues that President Ruto’s coalition with Mr Odinga will guarantee him automatic re-election.
Same team
The former Murang’a Governor believes that the two leaders who secured a total of 14.1 million votes in the last election enjoy support in most parts of the country and will win if they remain in the same team.
“I want to tell the people of Mt Kenya the truth, we are on half term of William Ruto and I have looked at it from far, and I can see Ruto being re-elected in 2027.
“His votes could be more than 70 percent. I’m not saying this to make somebody happy, but just do your calculations well, what he needs to do is to cool down the political temperatures in Mt Kenya by addressing our issues,” Mr Wa Iria said.
He went on: “Those thinking that because Gachagua was been impeached, William won’t be re-elected, I can tell you he will be re-elected. The last election result was 50-50, the coming one he will win by a wider margin.”
“This is a national coalition and those thinking it’s a joke should know that even if a few people of the 14 million who voted for Ruto and Raila in 2022 and 10 million is left, the re-election is real.”
Blue Economy Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho last week said they have already hit the ground running campaigning for President Ruto.
“Tuko kwa ground mbaya sana (We are already on the ground aggressively). There is only one way to unseat a leader who is democratically elected. The only way is through a vote and not social media, Mr Joho said, scolding Dr Ruto’s social media critics.
Until his appointment as a CS, he was Mr Odinga’s deputy in ODM, alongside Cooperatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya.
