News Analysis By Leo Odera omolo
A NUMBER of articles have appeared in the local dailies, some of them placing he blame at the doorstep of the Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi or his party leader for failure to capture the Ikolomani seat in Kakamega County during the just concluded by election.
The by-election results cannt be used to paint the Prime Minister Raila Odinga as having lost the clout in Western.After all it was just an attempt by Raila’s party to wrestle this particular seat fro the New Ford Kenya party,which had won it in 2007. But if the party had accepted Dr Khalwale in its rank and gave him the nod to contest the by-election on an ODM ticket, he could have won the election by much larger if not overwhelming majority.
All the analysis given by experts and opinion leaders are far from the true picture of what happened during the bruising campaign in Ikolomani and therefore devoid of facts.
It is true that the ODM won 19 parliamentary seats in the entire Western Province during the 2007 general elections leaving only 5 seats to be shared by other parties, Ford-Kenya and New Ford-Kenya and PNU among others included, which was won by Dr. Bonny Khalwale on the New Ford-Kenya ticket. And as such it was apparent that the incumbent had a upper hand from the onset of the campaign.
The other factor which contributed to the ODM defeat is the party’s much flawed nomination system and the seemingly endless internal wrangling. This same problem has led to losses after losses in other recent by-elections starting with South Mugirango,Makadara, Matungu and in other places.
In lkolomani, the ODM leadership had failed to put their act together. Close to 60 ODM civic leaders in many parts of the region ganged up openly campaigned for Dr Khalwale, and so were some of the party MPs from the region. Those who turned up and joined Mudavadi in the campaign did so half-heartedly.
Another factor which contributed immensely to Khalwale success is the fact that his campaign team was well drilled and highly liquid in terms of cash money in the by-election which was shrouded rampant bribery of voters and intimidation and at time violence. In same polling stations, voters were bribed with cash money within the eyesight of the security personnel who did not act, though such action amounted to committing an election offence.
Rumors were ripe to the effect that most ODM MPs, even those from a far field like Nyanza, Rift Valley and other regions gave their morale and material support tot the “Bull Fighter of Ikolomani” whose vital and regular contributions in the House during crucial issues of national importance debates has won him a place in the heart of many Kenyans.
It is not uncommon to hear dark corner gossips in the public domain and mostly in the public joints in town, people discussing in low tones, classifying Khalwale as one among the MPs who have excelled and became formidable debaters in the August House. Others being mentioned in this category included Martha Karua, Dancan Mungatana,Ababu Namwamba,Millie Odhiambo,Kilonzo,Gitobu Imanyara among others. Their contribution to the debates covering national issues is far much beyond party allegiance. It was therefore for the ODM to manage and to dislodge Khalwale, they needed to put their act together, which they didn’t.
It is also imperatively important to mention it here that, the fight was not between Raila Odinga and Bonny Khalwale, but a healthy competition between ODM and New Ford Kenya parties. It is therefore wrong for anyone to invoke the name of the Prime Minister insinuating that the outcome of the Ikolomani by-election is pointer abut the shape of things expected to come in Western Province come the year 2012.
A seemingly divided house of ODM had no chance of winning the Ikolomani set due to the fact that most of the party members from the region like Nambale’s Chris Okemo, Mumias Ben Washiali, Khwisero’s Evans Akula,while Matungu’s Were made a cosmetic appearance only during the visit to the constituency by the prime Minister Raila Odinga, but was later spotted sipping drinks in one of the posh hotels in Kisumu at the eight of the campaign.
At the same time rumors hit Ikolomani like Tsunami that several cabinet minster from the region, though members of the ODM were secretly backed Khalwale.
Other reasons, which gave Khalwale the ammunition with which he fought off the resurgence of ODM was untimely and poorly planned visit by Raila Odinga and his act of commissioning the Sigagala-Butere-Sidindi Road,which is currently under the construction.. The Prime Minister claims that it was himself who initiated the construction of these particular several years ago while he was serving in the docket of the Ministry of Work was successfully countered and watered down by Khalwale who told his people that the road network was his pat project.
The commissioning of this particular road and that particular time during the height f the electioneering campaign for the by-election was ill-timed. It convinced the electorate to believe that the Prime Minister was using government resources in campaigning for his party’s candidate, the idea which did augur well.
The Ikolomani by-election, however, is good an eye opener for the ODM a party which must put its house in order. It must end petty political squabbles within its rank and file.
Th ODM must change its nomination system and move out from that of handpicked. The party must give the room for the local leaders and party member the right to choose the right candidate via ballot boxes, and not direct nomination or pointing out the names of “wanted people”
This unpopular system has seen ODM suffering humiliating defeats in Kitutu Chache {2007
Where the party big-wigs had backed the former PS Ongware in place of Richard Onyonka who had won comfortably I the preliminary nominations. ODM did the same in Nyaribari Chache where Dr. Monda had won in the preliminary nomination and gave the clearance certificate to Chris Bichage. Both Onyonka and Dr Munda sought for other party tickets with which the two used to eventually trouncing the party’s favorite candidates during the election proper, though after winning the election on their own, they both agreed to work with the ODM team in parliament..
Despite Raila and Mudavadi having made a frantic effort to see their man win the by-election, the candidate himself was working in parallel to the team headed by the Minister for Local Government who is the de facto flag bearer of the party in Western Province given his party seniority.
For the ODM to maintain its dominance and superiority in Western Province the party must clean up all the cobwebs within its house, and stop internal wrangling, otherwise the party is likely to have a lean time in the region and could be booted out in the year 2012.
ODM defeat in the Ikolomani by-election is a clear case of betrayal from within its rank and file.
The court’s nullification of Khalwale’s victory in 2007 with a narrow margin of only 200 votes is now something of the past. The “Bull Fighter of Ikolomani, this time around performed perfectly well by polling a clear majority of 2,500 votes, which now put the question of who is the most popular leader in that constituency to a rest.
Ends