Headache for Raila as smaller parties in his backyard demand MP seats

ODM is headed for a clash with fringe parties from Luo Nyanza that are resisting its position that they fold and join it if they mean well in supporting the presidential bid of its leader Raila Odinga.

The parties insist they should be allowed to field candidates in any of the other seats as a way of reciprocating their support for Mr Odinga’s State House bid.

But it is the statement made during the Azimio la Umoja rally in three major towns that usually define the political direction of Siaya County that has put the small parties on edge. Key leaders in Mr Odinga’s party said they would not tolerate any party other than ODM in the region.

The Azimio team on Wednesday pitched camp in Mr Odinga’s backyard of Siaya, rallying his supporters to stand with their ‘son’ to a man as he makes his fifth stab at the presidency on August 9.

Speaking at rallies in Ugunja, Siaya and Bondo towns, the ODM politicians called for ‘six-piece’ voting in the coming General Election. They also asked fringe parties to fold and join ODM.

“Jakom (Mr Odinga) cannot be given a gun without bullets. Presidency is not enough when you do not have numbers. You can only be effective if you have an army in the Senate, National and County assemblies. This we will only do if we elect leaders on the ODM ticket,” said Senate Minority Leader James Orengo.

In Nyanza, parties that have come up to challenge Mr Odinga are former Ndhiwa MP Agostino Neto’s United Green Movement (UGM), People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Migori Governor Zachary Okoth Obado, Green Congress of Kenya (GCK) of Mr Martin Ogindo, and Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) led by Ugenya MP David Ochieng.

The parties are planning to front those who will not secure ODM tickets in various positions.

ODM remains the most dominant in Nyanza. As Mr Odinga woos new partners, the fringe parties in his backyard are a challenge he still has to grapple with.

ODM Director of Political Affairs and Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi and his Rarieda counterpart, Dr Otiende Amollo, said they would only campaign for ODM candidates.

“It is not strategic to engage the smaller parties within Nyanza because many of them are opportunistic in nature. We do not want to gamble with numbers in our strongholds and therefore, if anyone genuinely supports Baba (Mr Odinga), they should not find it a problem to join our party,” he said.

Minority Whip in the National Assembly Junet Mohammed said those who will challenge ODM for the seats in Nyanza would be branded “enemies of the party”.

“If you are planning to contest any seat in Nyanza, you better join ODM now because we will field candidates in all the seats,” said Mr Mohammed.

He likened MDG to a mud-walled house that cannot stand the test of time, asking the owners to fold it and move into a permanent house.

However, Mr Ochieng laughed off the statement, saying even in the Luo traditional homestead, a young man starts with a mud-walled house called a simba, before he builds a bigger house.

“Let us unite as a community and rally behind Mr Odinga for presidency. In the spirit of Azimio, let us work together for a common goal since any move to dismiss other parties may spoil votes for Raila,” said Mr Ochieng.

He maintained he was firmly in Azimio and that his party will be holding its national delegates conference on February 23, when it will endorse Raila for presidency after a prior meeting with the National Executive Council.

Mr Obado has, however, gone quiet on his aspirations after denying he was working with Deputy President William Ruto a few weeks ago.