By our reporter
ODM politics in Nyanza the home turf of Its leader Raila Odinga over the weekend revealed a party in deep internal crisis .
Raila held a delegates conference at Oyugis community centre , which is located at the Sikri School of the Blind. while the Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero conducted a very successful fund drive at the Homa – Bay High School in Homa – Bay Town.
The two functions were only separated by 40 Kilometers apart .
A good number of elected ODM MPS from both Homa Bay and Migori counties skipped Raila’s meeting .This was after the rumours had gone round that those elected party MPS who are perceived as rebellious would be roughed, heckled and perhaps beaten up by the political goons who were ferried into the area from as far as Kibira , Langata ,Nyakach ,Busia and Kisumu would be deployed to deal with the rebels .
And the rumours turned out to be credible in a way because when the Kadondo – Kasipul MP Silvance Osele turned up at Sikri he was roughed up by the goons .
Raila , however intervened and restrained the youth mating more punishment to the youthful MP.
Usele later defended himself saying he was late for the meeting because he was left by the morning by Kisumu – Nairobi flight .He reaffirmed the unshaken loyalty to CORD and ODM.
About a dozen Luo ODM MPS are said to have been identified and classified as rebels .Their only sin is independently speaking their minds and advocacy for constructive engagement between the CORD opposition and the jubilee government headed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Those regarded as rebellious included Silvance Osele (Kabondo -Kasipul ) Agustine Neto (Ndhiwa ) Miillie Odhiambo (Mbita )James Rege (Karachuonyo ),Dalmas Otieno (Rongo)David Ochieng (Ugenya )Ken Obura (Kisumu Centra l )Jared Kopiyo (Awendo )George Omer (Rangwe ) and Oyugis Magwanga (Kasipul )
Those in attendance at Railas’s Sikri meeting included Sen Otieno Kajwang (Homa – Bay )Senator James Orengo (Siaya )Millie Odhiambo (Mbita )jjohn Mbadi (Suba ) Oburu Odinga (nominated )Fred Outa (Nyando)Junet Mohamed (Suna East ) Governor C. Awiti (Homa – Bay ) Jack Ranguma (Kisumu ) Cornel Rasanga (Siaya)
However there was a brief stand of between the battery of journalist at Raila’s function political goons known as
‘The men in Black ” made spirited Attempt to block the reporters and threatened to eject them out despite the plea by Raila’s communication man Dennis Onyango. The goons shounted at the pressmen “Hatutaki mabo yenu Hapa .”This came after some politicians in thier addresss accused the media of fueling trouble in ODM .The youth made an attempt to block jounalists from Focusing their cameras at the main dais
MPS who attended Dr. Kidero’s fundraising meeting include Peter Kaluma….(Homabay Town )George Oner (Rangwe )former Rangwe MP Martin Ogindo)James Rege (Karachuonyo ) who later hosted the internal security cabinet secretary at an SDA Church Harambes in Kanyaluo in Karachuony o where over Ksh 2 million was rasied .The MP also hosted Ole lenku at another meeting held also Rachuonyo near KendU bay .;
Dr. Kidero fundraising meetign raise Ksh 7 million for construction of the burnt 3 dormitories Raila Sent Ksh 200,000 through Mp Kaluma Kidero only that he was a member of ODM .But emphasized the need of politics instead of Rhetorics and empty slogans stressing that his fundraiser activities have since raised Ksgh 200 million in aid of socio economic project in Nyanza in the last year
ENDS