ODM discounts reports that Kosgey is quitting

By Biketi Kikechi
The ODM Secretariat has discounted reports that party chairman Henry Kosgey plans to quit the position of party chairman in the coming weeks.
The party said the media continue to speculate without confirming from the party on the forthcoming party grassroots elections.
"Kosgey has never written to the party in regard to these claims and he continues to discharge his duties as he has always done," the party said in a statement.
The statement stated that Kosgey was still the chairman of the party and has stated that he will be standing for re-election as the national chairman.
It was also reported that Kosgey was doing his job because he signed cheques for staff at the party secretariat on Thursday.
"The grassroots elections scheduled for March 5th to 8th is for all ODM members and not a selected few. ODM is and will remain a democratic political party, and the public knows this fact," said a party official.
The statement released by the communications department dismissed as irrelevant assertions made by ODM MPs that they would not be defending their party positions in the coming elections.
The statement further dismissed what was reported to have transpired at Kosgey’s house on Monday as speculations and untruths.
"Some of the articles and news items published and aired in the media lacked facts and some were tailored to misrepresent the party as one under siege," said the statement.
On Monday, ODM MPs from Rift Valley led by Eldoret North MP William Ruto and officials of UDM party met with Kosgey at his house.
Kosgey and Ruto held a day-long meeting where it was revealed an agreement was reached that Kalenjin MPs holding positions in ODM will relinquish them in coming weeks.
"The media has been speculating on a number of issues about the party and put ODM before public court without verifying claims and allegations quoting anonymous sources," said the statement.
The party further said it was concerned by the fact that, although it respects the freedom of the media, allegations as published in the local dailies for the past two days are alarming, misleading and written without calling the party secretariat and the office of the Prime Minister for verification as per the principal of fairness.
The statement further said party leader Raila Odinga was misreported in Kakamega that he launched an attack on Ford-Kenya and New Ford Kenya political parties.
"Having been an active member and founder member of Ford-Kenya, Mr Odinga would be the last person to discredit it," said the statement.
It said the party believes there is a spirited campaign to injure, assassinate and tarnish the image of the PM.
The statement said: "He is a respecter of competition and knows too well that it is only in a field of various parties that political contest are held.
"The Party notes with concern utterances attributed to the deputy party leader Hon William Ruto that the Prime Minister denounced the youth who supported him in the 2007 General Election and had them arrested.
It went on: "It was also alleged that that Mr Odinga "created" the so called Kalenjin IDPs by forcing them out of the Mau."
The Party said the Party Leader has always stated and affirmed his support for the country’s youth and that is why he is encouraging more youth to turn out in large numbers to take part in the grassroots elections and gun for positions in the party at any level.
About the Mau, the statement said it was purely a Government decision made by the Cabinet and not in anyway related to ODM or Raila.