ODM LEADERS IN RONGO AND AWENDO DISTRICTS HAVE AGREED TO CONDUCT ELECTION FOR ONLY ONE PARTY BRANCH FOR THE TIME BEING.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

DESPITE the recent sub-division of Rongo district into two, namely the creation of the new Awendo district and a parliamentary constituency in the area, ODM leaders in both districts have resolved to conduct the party grass root election for only one branch.

This they said, is a temporary measure pending the official the gazette announcement of the proposed new parliamentary constituencies as per the recommendation of the disbanded Interim Boundary Commission led by Anrew Ligale.

Speaking over phone, Mr Jared Otieno Kopiyo, one of the potential aspirants for the newly created Awendo parliamentary seat said, “it will be a power-sharing between the party leaders in both Rongo and Awendo districts”.

It has been resolved that Awendo the chairmanship position will be retained by the Awendo group while the vice chairman will come from Rongo. The same will be with the branch secretary and other office will be shared equally

Meanwhile ODM grassroots election which has repeatedly been postponed ever since January this year is said to have sparked jittery between the current party MPS from Luo-Nyanza and the losers of the 2007 general election.

Fear persist that the elections now scheduled for June 6th would be a repeat of the previous elections which had produced two sets of branches in almost every constituency. Attempt by the party headquarters at the Orange House in Nairobi made futile attempt to resolve these disputes in vain leaving several branches to operate in parallel to each other. In some places the party big-wig had brokered such branches for power-sharing system, which also did not work.

All these were the result of the confrontations between the sitting MPs and their opponents t the constituency levels.

Differences still persist between the so-called pro-Raila and “unwanted leaders” as the party leadership is known to be operating under such classifications. People who are purported to be close to Raila’s elder brother Dr.Oburu Oginga, the MP for Bondo and Finance Assistant Minister are the one being blamed for engineering divisive politics thereby causing discontent in the party in this region which is considered to be the ODM stronghold.

Politics of undercutting is the order of the day within the ODM rank and file and the source of discontent. Dr Oburu Oginga and his youngest sister Ruth Adhiambo who is also reported to be eyeing the Kisumu Town West parliamentary seat in the 2012 are said to have the ears of the Prime Minister. The two are said to have the poorest public relations. Other personalities said to be fuelling jittery in the party are businessmen, building contractors-turned political sycophants seeking favor of securing government contracts and businesses.

A number of the present MPs from Luo-Nyanza are said to be uncomfortable with the characters who claims to be close to the ODM are coalescing around the defeated former MPs who lost their seats in 2007.

The electorates wants these categories of leaders to be locked out of the party positions in Nyanza as their presence would only serve in furthering the differences and split among the party leaders in the region.

Other have been heard saying that even the much highlighted differences between the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the Kalenjin MPs led by the suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto could have been easily be resolve internally without much fuss had it not been the kind of loose talking in the lips of some Luo power brokers.

And now that the new constitution has the provision for independent candidates, many current Luo MPs who are said to be tired of politics sycophancy and hero-worshipping are reported to be considering other option, which might result in some of them defending their seats as independent candidates come the year 2012.

What is causing jittery in the Raila led party is the highest number of votes garnered in the last week civic election in Gem by a candidate who contested on the civic by-election on the ticket of Biwott led National Vision Party of Kenya. The Vision sponsored candidate received 746 votes against the winner the ODM candidate who received 1,500 votes, and political pundits consider this to be closest contest

In another civic by-election held early this year in Rusinga Ward in Mbita district, the ODM candidate managed to squeeze a narrow win with slim majority victory of votes almost succumbing to defeat by National Vision Part man. The slim victory by the ODM has forced the loser Mr Okuku Miregi to move to court complaining that he was robbed of the victory and rigged out. Such scenario only pointing out that the ODM superiority is rapidly declining in the region where the party had received votes on man-to-man in 2007.

Insiders blame the rapidly changing trend of politics in the region on the ODM usually flawed nominations. The party, they say has refused to change with time and is still pursuing outmoded dictatorial policy of the Moi KANU REGIME OF THE PAST.

Ends