News Analysis By a special correspondent
This announcement made this week by the chairman of the troubled Luo Council of Elders, Mzee Meshack Riaga Ogalo, that plans are underway of launching a new political party, whose name is still being kept secret, appeared to have hit Raila Odinga and his loyalists troop soldiers below the belt.
The hot news appeared to have been most welcomed by many people, especially the frustrated and oppressed ODM members in all of the Luo-Nyanza region.
Ogalo hinted that the name of the new party will be unveiled on February 28, 2014. This meant it will coincide with the forthcoming ODM”s for the safaricom Kasarani stadium on February 28 to March 1st 2014.
The announcement did not come as surprise due to the on-going alleged fallout between the ODM Raia Odinga and a good number of the youthful MPS from Luo-Nyanza who seemed to have detested Odinga style of leadership.
The rumors making the round in both Kisumu and Nairobi is that people suspected be associated with the panned party includes Luo business magnets, professionals, youthful legislators from Luo-Nyanza, who claim they were unfairly out and out coerced from contesting for the various top positions.
The sitting MPs whose names are being mentioned as having a hand in the planned formation of a new political party included Dalmas Otieno {Rongo}, Neto Oyugi {Ndhiwa}, Milie Odhiambo {Mbita}, David Ochieng,(Ugenya), Olago Aluoch {Kisumu Town West}, Ken Obura {Kismu Central}, George Oner {Rangwe} John Mbadi {Gwassi} Joseph Ndiege {Suna West} and a good number of women representatives in Parliament from Nyanza. and dozens of Ward Representatives fro various constituencies in the region and and dozens of insignificant political activists in the region.
Making the announcement Mzee Ogalo said that the new party would open its door for membership of people from outside Nyanza who may wish join it & will be devoid of malicious rumors, witch-hunting insinuations which have riddled to the ODM; rumors, insinuation and witch hunting lie the ODM, which he said is riddled with malicious rumors, undercutting and politics of sycophancy.
He said that the main intention of forming a new political party was based on the past political experience in the region.
Mzee Ogalo has been at loggerhead with the ODM and its leader Raila for the past six years ever since he was kicked out the Luo Council of Elders at the behest of some Luo MPs in the 10th parliament who had accused him of having grown the horns and was drumming support for those intending to challenge them in the 2007 general election. He moved to the High Court, which ruled in his favor, although the same position is also claimed by Mzee Eli Opiyo OtondI
Launching scathing criticism of the ODM leader Raila Odings, Ogalo said ”there has not been any democracy in Luo-Nyanza and as elders we feel that we should break away from the past and let our people have another popular political vehicle to enable them effectively engage in political Participation,”
However, the main fear being expressed by many moderately thinking Luos is the new political party emerging in this region will definitely rekindle the bloody violence experienced in the region in the early 1960s when the followers of the late Jaramogi Going Odinga and his KPU party and the supporters of the late Tm Mboya went for the throats of each other.
The news about the new party came only three days after Raila Odinga was heckled and booed by angrily and rowdy hundred of youths who had gathered in he middle of Kisumu city where they staged near violence protests against a statue which had been erected in the Central Business District Kisumu by members of the Sikh community to commemorate the 100 years of their fore fathers’ arrival in the town.
The youth had mistaken the statue to be an idol and felt it was against the Christianity. Odinga had attempted to address the youth and told them to leave the statue alone as it represented no religion, but the youth responded with accusation that he was favoring the Indians who had erected the statue and told him in the face that they want the statue pulled down
Raila has been having a hard time with the younger generation of Luos ever since the new year gathering by a section of Luo MPS at his country opoda Bar Opuk home n Bondo during which some MPs severely criticized the Nairobi governor Dr Evans Kidero and questioned the source of the governor’s money, which he has been donating hefty in his series of Harambee tour of Nyanza.
The Homa-Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang” was reported as having kicked and spearheaded the debate on Dr Kdero who as the result of his series of Harambee fund raising has of late became the darling of many luo people.
ENDS