– November 26, 2011
By David Mwere
Isaac Ruto:ODM elections infiltrated
The party’s elections which started on 24 November 2011, after a series of postponement dating back to late last year, ends on 27 November, 2011.
Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto’s assertions lend credence to what might be ODM’s worst fears after he admitted that indeed those who had been elected in the Rift valley were not real ODM members.
He did not reveal whether his party was involved in the scheme saying the newly elected officials were neither UDM members. UDM is associated with Eldoret North MP William Ruto, a great critic of ODM leadership.
He however, added another twist to the controversy dogging the party with the majority following in the country, when he revealed the newly elected ODM officials from the Rift valley province will resign immediately after the delegates’ conference in Nairobi.
The conference planned for early next year, is expected to elect the party’s national office bearers and could also play a great role in the nomination of the party’s presidential flag bearer in the 2012 elections.
“I can confirm to you that those who were elected are not ODM neither are they UDM members. In fact there were no ODM elections in rift valley apart from people meeting in bars, hotels and under trees to write down names of the individuals. The rift valley officials will resign after the delegates’ convention,” says Ruto.
The Chepalungu MP’s allegations seem to corroborate claims raised by former Butere MP and ODM strategist in Western Kenya Amukowa Anangwe.
Though he dismisses the claims as a general talk, he says there have been pockets of infiltrations in other areas associated with the other ‘small parties’ opposed to ODM.
He says areas where Ford Kenya, New Ford Kenya and UDM parties are predominant, have been the hardest hit except PNU holds where the claims have not featured much.
“We are getting this information especially in places where an area MPs is aligned to UDM or the other ‘small parties’,” says Anangwe.
He says in Western province the affected area was Matungu constituency, represented by ODM’s David Were.
“It is a rare occurrence where non ODM members tried the trick but the UDM should come out clear and elect its own officials and mind its own business instead of engaging in criminal activities,” Anangwe says noting that it was an exercise in futility.
Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya said he had heard of the allegations in Lugari constituency, which is represented by KADDU’s Cyrus Jirongo, a key figure in the UDM dealings.
“Am on the ground in my constituency and nothing sinister has been reported. But respective party supporters in the affected areas should contain the malpractice,” says Oparanya.
The confusion confirms how Ruto and Uhuru infiltrated the party during the elections.
If the infiltrations serve the intended purpose by political opponents, then it could be a boost to politicians opposed to Prime Minister Raila Odinga who is expected to get the ODM nomination for the coming elections.
The actions could further bolster the formation of the much talked political alliances and mergers aimed at denying the prime minister the required march to the polls.
Anangwe, however, says the trick would not work since the political parties’ act was clear that, no one can belong to more than one party at a go.
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