By Joseph Mwangi

Prime minister Raila Odinga is under pressure from ODM supporters to ensure a more credible secretary general is elected during the forthcoming party elections. Raila who last week publicly declared that he will not impose leaders on party supporters is said to have been advised by his political handlers that for ODM to regain it’s lost glory, the party must replace Anyang’ Nyong’o.

As pressure continues to mount, party supporters have come out and declared their interest in the post which has since attracted only two people. ODM NEC member Julius Okinda and Prof. Larry Gumbe are set to battle it out for the seat.

According to those supporting Okinda, the party needs fresh blood to revamp it and that those who had been at the helm of other parties should sit back and watch how true party leadership is managed devoid of dictatorship and coercion while promoting internal political party democracy. Those who have worked closely with Okinda say he is a focused youthful leader who has what it takes to reclaim the party’s lost glory.

Okinda has been campaigning across the country at ward/locational level, sub-branch/constituency level and then to the county level and going by the overwhelming support he has received during his countrywide tours, he has what it takes to win the seat.

ODM sources claim sections of party MPs have been secretly complaining that Anyang’ is arrogant, inaccessible and snobbery even to fellow cabinet ministers from the party. It is for this reasons that Raila has been asked to keep off party elections and to allow party members exercise their democratic rights to elect candidates of their choice to steer the party into the 2012 general elections.

But even as ODM goes to the election to revamp the party, already some national officials have already technically left the party or are in the rebel team headed by Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

To begin with, Ruto himself is ODM’s deputy party leader (strategy) and that position is now technically vacant. There have been proposals to lobby for a female candidate from Rift Valley to replace Ruto while in other quarters; there have been calls to disband that position in the party’s leadership structure. Names being mentioned as possible Ruto replacement are Agriculture minister Sally Kosgey or Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar.

Another position technically vacant is that of the national chairman formerly held by Henry Kosgey. Although he has never publicly announced his resignation, analysts say he has of late since the ICC cases played low-key role in party affairs. Although there have been no names flouted for his replacement but ODM sources say if he decides to leave the party, his replacement will still come from Rift valley.

Another vacant position is that deputy chairman (political affairs) which was until recently being held by Aden Duale. He fell out with ODM leadership and is now allied to William Ruto’s faction in ODM. Then there is the position of deputy secretary general (operations) held by Joseph Nkaissery. Of late he has technically abandoned ODM and prefers associating with Internal Security minister George Saitoti. Technically, Nkaissery is out of ODM and sources say he has been pushing for a Saitoti presidency in 2012.

It will therefore be a tall order for ODM to successfully achieve ethnic, regional and gender balance in the party elections considering that most of the previous holders have technically left the party.