Reports have it that ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba is being groomed to take over a popular Western Kenya political party,and the whole of the region,majorly supportive of Raila Odinga and CORD.
How will the plan roll out to kill CORD’s influence?
They will allegedly poach Luyah leaders from ODM and have them make a deal with Ruto’s URP party so that they can all have bargaining power in 2017 which is not based on the ODM ticket.
Deputy President WillIam Ruto is laying grounds to get the Jubilee coalition re-elected in 2017.
In what is believed to be a smear campaign against ODM Secretary General and Budalangi Member of Parliament Ababu Namwamba, more tales of his woes and how he plans to save his political career and relevance continue to make news.
The latest report has it that Namwamba and Deputy President William Ruto are planning to take over Julia Ojiambo’s Labour Party of Kenya (LPK) and have western Kenya members of parliament from the ODM party move to it.
According to sources close to the matter who spoke to the Star, after the Luyah leaders are poached from CORD leader Raila Odinga’s party and have joined the LPK, they would then make a deal with Ruto’s URP party.
“Ruto wants to use this merger to strengthen his bargaining position next year. The deal is as good as done. Namwamba and his allies will not be vying to defend their seats in 2017 using the ODM ticket. I can assure you of that,” said the source.
While the plans still remain unclear, should the hostile take over of LPK occur and Luyah leaders encouraged to switch parties, the most likely politicians to make the move would be Funyula MP Paul Otuoma, Emuhaya MP Wilbur Ottichilo, Sirisia MP John Waluke and Khwisero MP Andayo Andola.
Ababu issued a public statement saying in part…
“We are not happy at all that the party leadership has no respect for us as elected leaders in the region. The Party Leader as well as the National Chairman have been conducting activities in the region without involving us at all,
As ODM MPs in western, we feel our interests are certainly not served within CORD, whether in Parliament or on the ground,
“It is important for the party to clarify if it has ceded the ODM western front to CORD so that we can determine the appropriate course of action,” read part of the statement.
This statement was made despite Otuoma denying that the leaders would be leaving the party. He spoke on Monday, June 20.
Speaking to the Star, Julia Ojiambo denied the claims that Ababu Namwamba and his team were planning to take over her party.
“My party is not for sale. No one can afford the Labour Party since our interests are the interests of workers who are millions in the country and want good governance,
“The party remains intact but we will form coalitions with like-minded parties at the general election,” said Ojiambo.
For months now, Ababu Namwamba has been labelled a mole and one who was not interested in his party’s activities.Engaging in activities with President Uhuru Kenyatta earned him grief from CORD politicians who begun calling for his resignation.
ODM however denied claims that they were frustrating Namwamba despite the evidence he’d given as proof.
