ODM Party Leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, and other officials stormed Kisii County to consolidate its support base, dismissing the faction led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna as detractors.
Dr Oginga maintained that the outfit would deepen its relationship with its partner, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), despite opposition from the so-called Sifuna faction.
The embattled DOM Party Leader, his deputy Simba Arati, Party Chairman Gladys Wanga, Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, Governor Ochillo Ayako, several deputy governors and ODM legislators from across the country gathered at Sameta Grounds in Kisii County, where they led party followers and delegates in the Linda Grounds campaigns on Sunday afternoon, where talks about the future of ODM dominated the show.
With discussions over the future of the Orange Party getting heated, all leaders who addressed the meeting said the main focus was the negotiations that were to happen between President William Ruto and the party with regard to the party’s 10-point agenda that was instituted by Raila and the Nadco Report being central.
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They all endorsed Simba Arati to accompany Dr Oburu to the negotiation table with Ruto when the party’s agenda will be tabled.
But it was the ongoing wrangles within the party that took centre stage, with various leaders who spoke taking furious action against the renegade group of young legislators and party members, which they said was distracting from former leader, the late Raila Odinga’s vision for the formation of its future in the Broad-based Government.
While addressing the jubilant crowd of followers and delegates, Dr Oburu said he was leading the party to the heights that his late brother wanted it to hit.
“As a party leader, I don’t want us to lose our focus on the fundamentals which our deceased party leader (Raila) left us with about our engagements in the Broad-based Government,” Oburu said.
He reiterated that the ODM Party will no longer be an opposition party but one that will be part of the government.
“Our future in Broadbased Government will be beyond 2027,” the party leader said.
However, Dr Oburu insisted that the party was still open for any criticism from within its fold and that all those who were opposed to some of the decisions that were being made by the leadership were free to disagree and give their views.
“Our party being a democratic formation, we are free to any criticism, and even those who mean us will not be dismissed from amongst us. We will still accommodate them,” Oburu said.
Simba swung to the defence of Dr Oburu, whom he said was the best fit to lead the party to its national ambitions.
He said he ceded the ambition of succeeding Raila at the expense of endorsing Oburu for the position.
“I had the ambition of becoming Raila’s successor, but I made the choice of endorsing Oburu based on his standing as our elder and seniority in leadership,” Simba said.
He warned those who were attacking Junet Mohammed over Dr Oburu’s rise to party leadership, saying he wasn’t in the meeting that made the decision.
Simba clarified further that ODM will proceed to form a coalition government with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party with President William Ruto, a plan which he said was laid down by Raila.
“We entered the Broad-based Government through the window, but now this time round we will enter through the wide door in the next general elections.
Chairman Gladys Wanga, on her part, said the Nyanza Region will no longer be an opposition party, and it will be part of the next government, which she alluded to will be formed by President Ruto.
“We have been in opposition for a long time now. No more days will we be witnessing our communities being counted out of development opportunities. There are no more days we shall have our people outside the government. We shall all belong to the next government that will be formed by Ruto,” Wanga said, insisting that the party’s 10-point agenda will be key in every discussion that will ensue with the government.
Junet, while addressing the people, said the leadership wrangles being witnessed will be ironed out through a National Delegates Council that will be convened soon.
“I dare all those people threatening the party’s leaders to wait for the NDC. They will learn how things are, and it will not change. Dr Oburu will be elected the party leader, just as Simba, Wanga and others will be retained in their positions,” Junet said.
Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang, in a veiled attack that was targeted at Siaya Governor James Orengo, warned against the rising discontent among young leaders in the party whom he termed as ‘babies’ whom Orengo was misleading.
“Senior Counsel is misleading babies to rebel against senior party officials. This is not right. We have watched you (Orengo), and we have always seen your bad motives against Dr Oburu. When he (Oburu) wanted to be the Siaya Senator, you blocked his ambition. When he wanted to be the governor, you blocked him. And now that he has risen to party leader rank, you are busy distracting him. We are warning you. Stop your bad ways,” Kajwang said.
Migori Governor Ochillo Ayako told the renegade group of legislators and party followers to humble themselves for the good of the party.
“If we are a serious party, let’s all subordinate and humble ourselves and help Oburu to lead the party to the next important phase. What is important is the person who will lead us to the great aspirations and discipline that some of us holding offices should have for us to succeed in our forward march,” Ayako said.
Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Thadeus Nyabaro and his Kisii County Assembly counterpart urged the party leadership to continue leading with sobriety and adhere to the wisdom that was imparted by the late Raila Odinga.
“The Party has leaders who are able, and they should be fully supported for greater prosperity in its future of having all Kenyans who are followers be inclusively accommodated in government,” Nyabaro said.
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ODM Party Leader, Dr Oburu Oginga, and other officials stormed Kisii County to consolidate its support base, dismissing the faction led by Secretary General Edwin Sifuna as detractors.
Dr Oginga maintained that the outfit
would deepen its relationship with its partner, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), despite opposition from the so-called Sifuna faction.
The embattled DOM Party Leader, his deputy Simba Arati, Party Chairman Gladys Wanga, Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, Governor Ochillo Ayako, several deputy governors and ODM legislators from across the country gathered at Sameta Grounds in Kisii County, where they led party followers and delegates in the Linda Grounds campaigns on Sunday afternoon, where talks about the future of ODM dominated the show.
With discussions over the future of the Orange Party getting heated, all leaders who addressed the meeting said the main focus was the negotiations that were to happen between President William Ruto and the party with regard to the party’s 10-point agenda that was instituted by Raila and the Nadco Report being central.
Follow The Standard
channel
on WhatsApp
They all endorsed Simba Arati to accompany Dr Oburu to the negotiation table with Ruto when the party’s agenda will be tabled.
But it was the ongoing wrangles within the party that took centre stage, with various leaders who spoke taking furious action against the renegade group of young legislators and party members, which they said was distracting from former leader, the late Raila Odinga’s vision for the formation of its future in the Broad-based Government.
While addressing the jubilant crowd of followers and delegates, Dr Oburu said he was leading the party to the heights that his late brother wanted it to hit.
“As a party leader, I don’t want us to lose our
focus on the fundamentals which our deceased
party leader (Raila) left us with about our engagements in the Broad-based Government,” Oburu said.
He reiterated that the ODM Party will no longer be an opposition party but one that will be part of the government.
“Our future in Broadbased Government will be beyond 2027,” the party leader said.
However, Dr Oburu insisted that the party was still open for any criticism from within its fold and that all those who were opposed to some of the decisions that were being made by the leadership were free to disagree and give their views.
“Our party being a democratic formation, we are free to any criticism, and even those who mean us will not be dismissed from amongst us. We will still accommodate them,” Oburu said.
Simba swung to the defence of Dr Oburu, whom he said was the best fit to lead the party to its national ambitions.
He said he ceded the ambition of succeeding Raila at the expense of endorsing Oburu for the position.
“I had the ambition of becoming Raila’s successor, but I made the choice of endorsing Oburu based on his standing as our elder and seniority in leadership,” Simba said.
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He warned those who were attacking Junet Mohammed over Dr Oburu’s rise to party leadership, saying he wasn’t in the meeting that made the decision.
Simba clarified further that ODM will proceed to form a coalition government with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party with President William Ruto, a plan which he said was laid down by Raila.
“We entered the Broad-based Government through the window, but now this time round we will enter through the wide door in the next general elections.
Chairman Gladys Wanga, on her part, said the Nyanza Region will no longer be an opposition party, and it will be part of the next government, which she alluded to will be formed by President Ruto.
“We have been in opposition for a long time now. No more days will we be witnessing our communities being counted out of development opportunities. There are no more days we shall have our people outside the government. We shall all belong to the next government that will be formed by Ruto,” Wanga said, insisting that the party’s 10-point agenda will be key in every discussion that will ensue with the government.
Junet, while addressing the people, said the leadership wrangles being witnessed will be ironed out through a National Delegates Council that will be convened soon.
“I dare all those people threatening the party’s leaders to wait for the NDC. They will learn how things are, and it will not change. Dr Oburu will be elected the party leader, just as Simba, Wanga and others will be retained in their positions,” Junet said.
Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang, in a veiled attack that was targeted at Siaya Governor James Orengo, warned against the rising discontent among young leaders in the party whom he termed as ‘babies’ whom Orengo was misleading.
“Senior Counsel is misleading babies to rebel against senior party officials. This is not right. We have watched you (Orengo), and we have always seen your bad motives against Dr Oburu. When he (Oburu) wanted to be the Siaya Senator, you blocked his ambition. When he wanted to be the governor, you blocked him. And now that he has risen to party leader rank, you are busy distracting him. We are warning you. Stop your bad ways,” Kajwang said.
Migori Governor Ochillo Ayako told the renegade group of legislators and party followers to humble themselves for the good of the party.
“If we are a serious party, let’s all subordinate and humble ourselves and help Oburu to lead the party to the next important phase. What is important is the person who will lead us to the great aspirations and discipline that some of us holding offices should have for us to succeed in our forward march,” Ayako said.
Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Thadeus Nyabaro and his Kisii County Assembly counterpart urged the party leadership to continue leading with sobriety and adhere to the wisdom that was imparted by the late Raila Odinga.
“The Party has leaders who are able, and they should be fully supported for greater prosperity in its future of having all Kenyans who are followers be inclusively accommodated in government,” Nyabaro said.
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By Stanley Ongwae