Can Ojodeh succeed where Nyong’o failed?

By EMEKE-MAYAKA GEKARA gmayaka@ke.nationmedia.com and JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, July 9 2011 at 16:34

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A putrid air of animosity hang in the air after the 2008 Serena talks, which resulted in the power-sharing deal between President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

There was concern over how rival ministers from PNU and ODM would work together in government after a blame game over the post-election bloodshed.

Senior PNU ministers such as Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Martha Karua, Chirau Mwakwere and Amos Kimunya expressed dissent for Mr Odinga who was now their boss.

Then one afternoon, Ms Karua and Mr Kimunya had a most unexpected lunch with Mr Odinga. The lunch date was a remarkable effort at reconciliation of otherwise sworn adversaries.

Behind the lunch date was Mr Joshua Orwa Ojodeh, the ebullient, combative, yet approachable Internal Security assistant minister.
Mr Fix-It

“I am Mr Fix-It for both friend and foe. I consider myself a bridge between ODM and PNU,” he told the Sunday Nation last week.

“I participated in the NDP-Kanu merger and after the Serena talks I was able to organise the lunch because I have friends across the board.”

Mr Ojodeh has developed strong networks across the government, especially with PNU, which has triggered debate that he is creating an “alternative” centre of power in Luo Nyanza politics, which have been dominated by the Oginga family since independence. 

Mr Odinga, a scion of the family, is the symbol of the Luo dream for the presidency.

Mr Ojodeh acknowledges that he enjoys a warm relationship with his boss, Internal Security minister George Saitoti, Mr Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto intend to vie for the presidency and have been on the warpath with Mr Odinga, who they accuse of orchestrating their cases at the International Criminal Court to remove them from the 2012 presidential contest. Mr Odinga has laughed off the claim.

Mr Ojodeh’s dalliance with PNU was the subject of a report by the latest issue of the Indian Ocean Newsletter.

The newsletter reported that politicians close to Mr Odinga such as Cabinet ministers James Orengo, Otieno Kajwang and Dalmas Otieno, and officials from the PM’s office Miguna Miguna and Karoli Omondi, have been leading a campaign to isolate Mr Ojodeh from the PM’s inner circle.

Secret meetings

According to the newsletter, the group accuses Mr Ojodeh of holding secret meetings with top guns in PNU and discussing Mr Odinga’s political plans.

The Ndhiwa MP has denied the accusation, saying his relationship with the President’s men was limited to his role as assistant minister.

“Raila (Mr Odinga) is my mentor and friend. He is the one who held my hand into politics. He always comes to my home whenever he is in Homa Bay. How can I move away from my mentor?” he asked.

Speculation that Mr Ojodeh was working hard to cut his own niche went a notch higher during debate on the new Constitution, when he strongly pushed for provisions for independent candidates.

Elected in 1994 in a by-election after the defection of Mr Tom Obondo from Ford-Kenya to Kanu, the Ndhiwa politician is one of the longest serving MPs from Luo Nyanza today.

He also regards himself as the senior most politician in Homa Bay County compared with the likes of Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang (elected to Parliament for the first time in 1997).

Others are first timers Martin Ogindo (Rangwe), John Mbadi (Gwassi), James Rege (Karachuonyo) and Oyugi Magwanga (Kasipul Kabondo).

It is claimed Mr Ojodeh feels that he, and not Mr Kajwang’, should have been appointed a Cabinet minister.

Supremacy war

The apparent supremacy war continued this weekend when Mr Kajwang declared that he will contest the Homa Bay senate seat. Mr Ojode is also interested in the seat.

The question is: Can Mr Ojodeh succeed where Mr Orengo and Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o failed? The two were kicked out of Parliament after opposing Mr Odinga. They were re-elected in 2007 after making amends with him.

True, the Ndhiwa man is one of the most popular MPs in the corridors of Parliament. His colleagues have nicknamed him Sirkal, the Dholuo corruption of the Kiswahili word, serikali (government).

Security-related questions are common in Parliament. It is usually Mr Ojodeh who answers them.

MPs refer to the government official providing the answer as “the minister” and Mr Ojodeh plays that role to near perfection, often referring to police as “my officers” in his spirited defence of their actions.

“I have said that it is too expensive for me to maintain those old vehicles… I have offered to buy new vehicles for the DCIO and the OCPD.

“Why should I spend Sh2 million to maintain old vehicles and Sh2 million is enough for me to buy a new vehicle for the officers? I will buy the DCIO and OCPD new vehicles,” he said during debate on July 21, last year.

The answer earned him praise from Mr Ogindo, the Rangwe MP. “I want to thank Mr Ojodeh for consistently answering questions. I think he is one of the outstanding assistant ministers,” said Mr Ogindo.

But Mr Ojodeh often comes in for criticism from MPs for his style, sometimes sounding dismissive and over-enthusiastic in his defence of government.

He defended retention of the Provincial Administration against the position of his ODM party.

Contradicted party

“It would be suicidal to drag activism and party politics into management of security. I must behave like a government minister. 

“That is why I contradicted my party, which called for the scrapping of the Provincial Administration,” said Mr Ojodeh.

Occasionally, he is called upon to perform functions outside his docket.

For example, he tabled documents by Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet ministers Chirau Mwakwere (Trade) and Dr Sally Kosgei (Agriculture).

Besides, Mr Ojodeh is the chairman of Parliament Sacco with Sh825 million capital base. Here, he cuts the image of an older brother to young MPs when he authorises loans for them.

“I encourage new MPs to save and advise them on what to do with savings,” he said.

Sirkal’s network was clear last month when the “whole government” and key politicians descended on the remote Ratang’a village of Homa Bay County in nine choppers to witness the burial of his father, Mzee Ojode Otieno.

The key figures at the ceremony were President Kibaki, Mr Odinga, Mr Kenyatta, Prof Saitoti and Mr Ruto. And he used the occasion to “set the record straight” on his relationship with Mr Odinga.

“There are MPs here who keep saying that Ojodeh is not for Raila. Those are people who do not want the progress of the region.

“What they do is to spread gossip for purposes of destroying others. I want to announce here today that I have never abandoned Raila.”

He angered some MPs when he invited Mr Ruto to address the gathering after Cabinet ministers such as Mr Orengo, which was seen as an attempt to signify Mr Ruto’s political seniority.

However, Mr Ojodeh said he was misunderstood. The Ndhiwa man said he invited Mr Ruto to speak during the funeral “because we still need the Kalenjin”.

He pointed out that unlike many of his colleagues, he is not frequent in Mr Odinga’s rallies because of the security docket, which keeps him criss-crossing the country.

Mr Ojodeh said he would sustain the relationship with the PNU duo of Prof Saitoti and Mr Kenyatta, and Mr Ruto, who he describes as long-time friends.

Well, it would be interesting to see whether his links to PNU will be the Orange party’s stalwart’s undoing as 2012 fast approaches.