Photo/FILE Finance assistant minister Oburu Oginga declared that the party would not allow MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto to wreck the party.
By BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com AND KNA
Posted Sunday, July 10 2011 at 22:30
Posted Sunday, July 10 2011 at 22:30
The Orange Democratic Movement will target rebel MPs once the party has kicked out nominated councillors who have shown loyalty to their rivals.
Finance assistant minister Oburu Oginga declared that the party would not allow MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto to wreck the party.
“We have just started with the small fish and this is not the end since we are coming for the big fish,” he said in Bondo during the district education day at the weekend.
However, Mr Ruto described the decision to sack ODM nominated councillors as “barbaric, draconian and cult-like”.
The Eldoret MP challenged the ODM leadership to realise that the United Democratic Movement (UDM) was a political force that has attracted a number of councillors.
“The attempt to dominate councillors who are perceived to have joined UDM is draconian, barbaric and smacks of the tendency of cults. We will oppose it,” he said.
He questioned the retention of East African Community minister Hellen Sambili, who is a UDM lawmaker yet it was targeting other lawmakers who were linked to the party.
“Hellen Sambili is an elected MP of UDM and a minister of ODM. Which UDM is this that is ok for Sambili to belong and not Ruto and others?
“It was ok for ODM to use UDM to increase its numbers in Parliament but they are now scared,” he said.
ODM had sacked a number of nominated councillors, especially from the Rift Valley, on grounds of loyalty until the Interim Independent Electoral Commission intervened.
Dr Oginga declared that ODM would not relent until the councillors’ nomination was revoked and they were replaced by loyal ones.
“They are the ones who have removed themselves from ODM by supporting UDM and they should stop crying,” he said.
He said the removal of the rebel nominated councillors in Rift Valley would not affect ODM because they were to be replaced by other leaders from the same region.
“We shall not bring outsiders to replace them but politicians from the same areas and this will not interfere with the ODM grassroots support,” Dr Oginga said.
Mr Ruto, who has differed with ODM party leader Raila Odinga, described UDM as a mass party that has attracted a number of MPs.
“Four ODM MPs from North Eastern are with us; in the Coast we have four and in Eastern we have two. Which ODM are they talking about? They should wake up to reality,” he said.
At the same time, politicians are fighting for top party positions in UDM on whose ticket Mr Ruto could contest the 2012 presidency.
The elections for the party, which Mr Ruto and his allies is popularising through rallies in targeted parts of the country, are set to be held at the end of next month.
On Sunday, UDM secretary- general Martin ole Kamwaro, and both current and former MPs have shown interest in the party which has become the home of rebel ODM lawmakers.
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