Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
The Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} leaders in Western Kenya regions have been urged to stop petty agitation regarding the site and locations of the new counties and to devote their valuable time in campaigning for the party leader Raila Amolo Odinga’s presidential ambition.
These sentiments were expressed early this week by the ODM Youth Coordinator Hilary Ochieng’ Alila to reach the consensus that Counties headquarters should remain where the offices of the existing county Councils are located.
Alila gave the example of the Gusii County, which he said should remain in Kisii Town, the same with Kericho and Bomet Counties, which should remain in the present premises of the County Councils for the Kipsigis region.
In Luo Nyanza, Alila said,”There are four Counties, namely Siaya, Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Migori. The offices of these institutions should remain where the Counties Council offices are presently located. Therefore there is no point for the party leaders to squander much time over new sites and location where the new headquarters should be.
The status quo of these institutions should remain unchanged, for example, the Siaya County should remain in Siaya town, Kisumu the same, Homa-Bay the same and Migori in Migori town.”
The same should apply to new Counties in Western Province and some parts of the North Rift.”These petty argument could divert the attention of party members and leaders from the heavy task which lies ahead, and that is to campaign and ensure that the party leader Raila Odinga win the next presidential election with an overwhelming majority of votes.
In an exclusive interview with this writer, Alila told the ODM members, who will be taking part in the next months party grass root election, to do so with open eyes to guard against possible infiltration by moles and agent provocateurs from the competing political parties.”Party members should ensure they vote only to the genuine and dedicated party leaders.”
He urged the party leadership to extend their hands of support, particularly the MPs from the region, which have turned hostile, but were previously safe in the hands of ODM. Politics change itself is like a clock, but we must give our support to those who have remained steadfast and whose loyalty to the party leader Raila Odinga is unanimous and not questionable. One of these MPs are the likes of Franklin Bett {Buret}, Dr Joyce Laboso {Sotik}, Magerer Lang’at {Kipkellion}, Musa Sirma {Nominated} and others where disgruntled MPs and dissidents have been poisoning the air with empty political slogans.
When told that the former ODM national treasurer and former South Mugirango MP, Omingo Magara, was last weekend seen in Kisumu as one of the party rebels who accompanied the suspended Higher Education Minister, William Ruto, in a triumphed entry into Kisumu City, Alila scoffed it off dismissing the former legislator as a dissatisfied man and a political chameleon.”Magara departure from ODM is a good rident.It has since strengthened the party which is now stronger than ever before in the Gusii region.
Speaking about the Nandi region, Alila said that KANU regime had milked the area down to its knees by killing the price of agricultural products, KCC and other financial outlets for the people of the area. But an ODM government would resuscitate the economies of those regions,
It will work for a better deal for the sugar cane growers in Luo-Nyanza, tea and coffee growers in Gusii and some parts of the South and North Rift regions. Milk producers would be given priority. The same will apply to the maize producers and other cash crops.
Alila predicted an overwhelming victory for ODM in 2012, and appealed to its leaders at all levels to redouble their efforts to propel the party to victory next year. They, the leaders should be humble to all Kenyans including those with diverse ideas and those pursuing different political ideologies, all the time taking into account that “We are all Kenyans and must remain united in order to over come myriads of problems facing our beloved country.
Alila appealed to the rebel party MPs fro the Rift Valley Province to rescind their decision to ditch the party for the sake of their own self and their communities. The MPs, he said should not stoop low and allow them to be used like foreign mercenaries, but to think ahead about their communities and put in place the strategies of eradicating the abject poverty among Kenyans.
The youthful populist politician whose candidature for the Homa-Bay County has been greeted with great enthusiasms hail from Ndhiwa district appealed to Kenyan leaders to tackle all the merging political issues with sobriety, and to stop polarizing the air with venomous utterances, which could provoke tribal hatred.
Ends