News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town.
As accurately predicted by this writer, Omingo Magara, the outspoken former Trade Assistant Minister has finally officially ditched the Orange Democratic Movement { ODM} for his little known Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}
Magara announced last Friday during a news conference at the Serena Hotel, Nairobi that he has relinquished his position as the party’s national treasurer and a member, and that he would contest the by-election, which is scheduled for June 10 on the PDP ticket.
Magara lost his seat when a Kisii based judge Justice Masinga nullified his election in 2007 citing irregularities.
Reaction from the ODN hierarchy was simple. “He is a good riddance as he was of big liability to the party than being an asset. His loyalty to the party leadership has become suspect ever since the formation of the grand coalition government.
Magara had became disillusioned and frustrated by the fact that the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was one of the appointing authorities jointly with President Mwai Kibaki, had offered full cabinet slot to Hon Chris Mogere Obure, the one time Finance Minister in the KANU regime of President Daniel Arap Moi and for many years was KANU operative in Gusii region until he joined the ODM at the last minute in 2007.
As the national treasurer of ODM and its South Mugirango MP for close to five year, Magara felt he was senior enough and deserved full cabinet appointment. His discontent was read on the wall for his total silent and he stopped commenting on comments and issues adversely affecting the party and its leadership.
On one occasion in South Mugirango during a fund drive meting for a school, which was presided by the Higher Education Minister William Ruto in the presence of close to 22 Rift Valley MPs, Magara displayed a group of PDP local leaders and asked the crowd to watch them in the next general election. This message was well received by the ODM leadership as it came while the Prime Minister Raila Odinga the party MPs from Gusii region were conducting a campaign rally during hr Bomachoge by-election, which Magara shunned.
Magara, according to local sources, is banking his hope for his chances in clinching his former seat on the numeracy of his Bosinange sub-clan, the largest in the area. The sub-clan has single handed registered more than 15,000 voters in the current voters registration exercise. The registered voters from this particular sub-clan are believed to have been in excess of 15,000.
In the 2007, South Mugirango constituency had registered over 41,000 voters, but the given the fact with the hasty speed with which the current registration exercise has been done, many people appeared to have been left out, and the number could end up being far much less about 34,000 or 36,000 only.
IN apparent reference to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the ODM party leader Magara regretted that he was leaving the party that he had worked hard for to built has been reduced to a one man show,
In his departure’s kick, Magara had rubbished the ODM as a party which” lack tolerant leadership. It is dictatorial party,”
‘It is not tolerant to divergent views, but only rewards mediocrity, primitive loyalty and cheap talk, which I could not belong to,” Magara said
“As a result I want to announce to the people of South Mugirango and the natio0n at large that I have rendered my resignation as a treasurer and member No.8 of the ODM as per the provision of section 17[2] of Political parties Act.’he said adding, It was painful decision but he had to make it.”
Magara further alleged the ODM leadership had hatched plan to rig him out of the party membership a move, which he says prompted him to defect to avoid being humiliated.’
But a source on the ground accused Magara for having built so many enemies within the constituency, especially among the ODM members due to his alleged heavy handedness in handling local political and administrative matters. Therefore he had no chance of winning the party’s primary even if he had stayed on.
One issue that could possibly work in favor of Magara is that ODM must nominate a credible and respected candidate and a fair and transparent preliminary. Most of those who have taken up the party nomination paper hails from almost one clan or inter-related sub-clans under the umbrella Nyaramba that5 groups smaller clans such as Nyataro, Ruora, Bwomuony that forms Getenga sub-clans. If the party nomination is conducted in a transparent manner that would cause discontent or dissenting views, within the ODM camp. It should conduct in a manner that would satisfy every aspirant loser or winner then the entire losers would support the winner and this would be to the disadvantage of Magara.
A slightest mistake that would witness the flawed by-election has it has happened in other by-elections involving the ODM would witness mass defection by the electorate and support for other parties.
Already there is widespread rumor and allegation making the round that one of the aspirants Ibrahim Ochoi has been given direct nomination from the party headquarters. This dreadful rumor is deliberately meant to cut Ochoi into size simply because he is considered as one of the strongest aspirants on who is likely to clinch the party ticket after the nomination.
Another strong aspirant if the former KINUT treasurer in Gucha South branch of KNUT Zebedeo Nyaboga, another educationist Henry Nyabuto9, Eng.Gideon Moreka. Kepher Marube and lawyer David Okachi.
One good thing is that these entire aspirants are men of substantive life style and economic ability to finance their own election campaign without being sycophants of anybody.
Rumor making the round is alleging that Magara are livened up with million of shillings donated to him by the Ruto camp, and that his campaign machine would be much oiled. But there was a chest thumping from the ODM source that maintains that after the preliminaries, the party would make resources and campaign logistics available to9 much Magara’s millions.
Magara is facing an uphill task to explain to the electorate what he has done fore them in all the six years he has been in Parliament. He lacked the clean track record of development activities, and his opponent would particularly exploit this to the maximum.
There is a group of residents and voters who have come out in full force support of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the allegation that he had shortchanged Magara,and did not appoint him to the cabinet. The group says the appointing authority was President Kibaki and perhaps the President who had worked together with Obure in the previous KANU administrations could have single handedly chosen Obure fore the job. The question of political seniority also matters. Obure is an illustrations and astute politician whose status is far beyond comparison with the politically insignificant Magara a political novice.
Other parties like PNU, KANU, Ford People, Ford Kenya, ODM-Kenya,Kenda are also processing applicants for their candidates and the field appeared to be heading for a highly crowded election field.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com