Writes Arrum-Tidi Ogonglo in Kisumu

The Eldoret North MP William Ruto is reported to have made an inroad into rank and file of the ODM Women Orange Democrat organization’s national office and may be now operating deeply behind his arch-political rival Raila Odinga’s rear-guards.

News about Ruto’s breakthrough Raila Odinga behind the line came following he recent fiasco during the ODM Women Democrats elections of the organization’s national office bearers.

The election meeting was held on July 17 at the Boma of Kenya. Raila and his wife Ida Odinga are reported to have attended the meeting briefly.

Apparently unaware of what had transpired due to intensive behind the scene maneuverings the previous evening when most delegates from up-country converged in Nairobi.

Prior to their trip to Nairobi, delegates from within the Kisumu County had held a meeting in Kisumu City and agreed on the line up. The delegates were supposed to have traveled together and had resolved to give their baking and support to only the women who are loyal to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Strange thing, however, happened. Upon reaching Nairobi, the Kisumu delegates lost contact with their colleagues, who had travelled much earlier and had already been booed into a posh hotel by a woman who is suspected to have been acting at the behest of William Ruto and other anti-Raila forces.

It was at this time hen Kisumu delegates came to realize the intrigues surrounding heir much highlighted meeting. The chairman of the Kisumu Women Orange Democrat organization, Mrs Rosa Buyu was nowhere to be seen. The phone lines were all switched off. Communication between her and Kisumu delegates were severed.

On arrival In Nairobi, However the Kisumu County delegates were shocked to find there was another line up of proposals involving Assistant Housing Minister Bishop Margaret Wanjiru. Two ODM nominated MPs Rachel Shebesh and Millie Odhiambo had their own line up, which was immediately allegedly joined by Buyu who for some unknown reasons had abandoned the Kisumu delegation and even disowned Mrs Nancy Matara who had been tipped earlier by the Kisumu delegates to contest the position of the national organizing secretary. She was abandoned.

The young woman, however, stuck to the Ida Odinga’s line up and squeezed a slim victory to become he Deputy National Organizing Secretary, despite having been abandoned and disowned by her own delegates

Her branch secretary Mrs Grace Akumu lost contact, and the situation was only saved following he intervention of Mr Ida Odinga, her sister –in-law Ruth Adhiambo Odinga and Grace Akumu who quickly worked out for a alternative new-lineup that show Mrs Elizabeth Syeng’o from Kitui North victory over Mrs Farida Ahmed from the coast.

There were 20 slots and countrywide and Kisumu County ODM Orange Democrats got one position to the chagrins of the ODM Women parliamentary caucus.

What has emerged since is that there infighting between Mrs Ida Odinga and the ODM women parliamentary caucus. After the parliamentary caucus had lost their line-up, one of the Rachel Shebesh confronted the ODM election board chairman with unsubstantiated accusation that the elections had been rigged, though it was conducted transparently according to the made which had been agreed upon by the delegate themselves.

From all the intrigues, pundits were quick into pointing out that some members of the party’ women parliamentary caucus are covertly fighting Raila, though some of them are the same members of the much touted ODM Reloaded team. He group had a hidden agenda to scuttle the ODM Women Democrats national office elections. The ODM Youth Orange Democrats had their election the previous day at the same venue, which went on smoothly.

Last weekend the Kisumu County branch ODM Women Orange Democrats had called a meeting at the party offices along the Kisumu-Kakamega Highway, The purpose of the meeting was nowhere. She did not show up nor did she send in an apology.

The women who attended the meeting appeared to have been brain-washed while they were in Nairobi where other reports says plenty of money had changed hands. What followed the weekend meeting in Kisumu was full of the acrimonies, followed by accusation and counter accusations.

All clearly pointing to the direction of unconfirmed rumor making the round that some members of the ODM parliamentary caucus were not happy with the active role being played by Mrs Ida Odinga in mounting the most aggressive the campaign for her husband to realize his presidential ambition

Unconfirmed report says the money which almost scuttled the organization meeting at the Bomas of Kenya came from either a source connected to Wiliam Ruto or senior, but un-named, members of the G7.

The same money has sine derailed the unity of the Kisumu County Women Orange Democrats.

Ends