Sunday, November 6, 2011

Ruto: We are not bothered by ODM elections



By Stephen Makabila
Even as ODM prepares for its elections, party rebels led by Eldoret North MP William Ruto have declared they would be strengthening UDM in readiness for next year’s contest.
"We are not bothered by ODM elections. They will do their things and we are going to do ours in UDM," said Ruto, who has been the ODM deputy party leader.
He claimed ODM is only half of its former self due to what he termed bad leadership.
Political science lecturer Frank Matanga says ODM’s support in areas dominated by rebels would depend on the quality of leaders to be elected in the party elections.
"Positions in areas like Rift Valley where Ruto has influence should be filled by equally competitive leaders to sustain party support, or the party should be ready to completely lose out to UDM," said Matanga.
However, Moi University lecturer Titus Bittok argues Ruto’s influence in Rift Valley is significant and that it is an uphill task to find leaders within ODM who can neutralise it.
There have been fears the Ruto camp could plant moles during the ODM elections in order to continue wrecking the party from within, but Ruto has been emphatic his group has no interest in whatever goes on in the Orange party.
Apart from Ruto, other officials who held national positions in ODM but have rebelled include former Treasurer Omingo Magara, Deputy Secretary General and Dujis MP Aden Duale, Deputy Organising Secretary and Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lagat and Vice-Chairman Mohamed Mohamud.
ODM national chairman Henry Kosgey, who was at one time thought to have joined the Ruto camp, has been conspicuously silent, but word has it he was still loyal to Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and may therefore defend his position.
Raila allies
Other leading politicians from the vote-rich Rift Valley supportive of Raila include ministers Franklin Bett, Musa Sirma, Sally Kosgei and Margaret Kamar.
Magara who is currently in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claims ODM has no chance of regaining its original popularity.
Duale, who was recently sacked as an assistant minister, said ODM no longer enjoys support in North-Eastern Province. MPs gravitating towards Ruto in Rift Valley and North Eastern may not defend their branch positions. It’s expected ODM officials in 47 branches, who are sympathetic to Ruto, would be defecting to UDM.
Ruto said to demonstrate his camp was done with ODM, UDM membership recruitment drive was launched on Thursday, and that the party was doing everything to conform to the requirements of the Political Parties Act.
Within G7, Ruto has teamed up with Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, Magara, Duale and Trade Minister Ali Chirau Mwakwere in what is perceived to be a grouping whose main objective is to block Raila from State House when President Kibaki retires next year.
Among the regions Ruto has been making forays include Coast, where he has hinted Mwakwere could be his presidential running mate, Meru, North Eastern, Kisii and parts of Western Province.
It is believed Ruto has about 47 MPs in his fold. Matanga says though ODM may be affected in areas controlled by party rebels, its national support may not be affected significantly.
"Opinion polls have indicated ODM is the single most popular party in the country and that position may not change soon," added Matanga.
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