Why Ojode has kept off ODM frontline

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By ISAAC ONGIRI

In his campaigns in Ndhiwa and in political public appearances, Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode provoked laughter when he always told his audience his political party is Raila Amolo Odinga.

Such was the degree of his loyalty to the Prime Minister that he featured in nearly all major occasions involving Raila and played a major advisory role within his political think tank.

But for several months now, the third term MP previously considered a first lane general in the Raila brigade, has been missing in action.

His low profile in the political arena has seen him skip high profile meetings involving ODM and the Prime Minister, triggering the question: What happened to "Sirikal"?, as he is known in political circles.

Though Ojode is habitually present in official Government functions and in Parliament to discharge his ministerial duties, his input in Raila’s political business has been absent.

He would feature in major political deals involving Raila and play an inside role in every major decision made by the ODM leader.

Close confidant

So close was Ojode to Raila that as the country voted in the 2007 elections, the Assistant minister, who was vying for the Ndhiwa seat, rushed to Nairobi shortly after being declared winner to join the PM in waiting for the election results.

As the presidential results trickled in and a convincing victory looking imminent, Ojode and a team of Raila insiders secluded into a city hotel along Mombasa Road. With Raila’s lead on a range of 1,000,000 votes against President Kibaki’s, the group was hopeful that in a matter of hours, the country’s fourth President would be declared by the now defunct Electoral Commission.

Together with a skeleton group of the PM’s insiders working with the help of an international political scientist, Ojode and the PM were said to have embarked on drafting a list to guide the PM in crafting an acceptable Cabinet at a later meeting with members of the Pentagon.

Pain of power

That Cabinet was never named and the Pentagon meeting that was to be called to discuss the final list of new ministers never happened, instead things changed so fast and the pain of power began to hit.

When the Grand Coalition Government was finally negotiated Ojode, the PM and company went back to book and the minister participated in crafting a sketch of what the ODM Cabinet would look like.

Apart from the five members of the Pentagon who literally selected the ministries they wanted to head, Ojode had the privilege of identifying a key docket he preferred to head.

But the Assistant minister was shocked after President Kibaki read out a Cabinet list with his name featuring as an Assistant minister for Internal Security.

"The people felt betrayed because they knew I had even been named a minister by President Kibaki, a position I rejected. I said if Raila is not in the Cabinet then I had no business being there. They were shocked at the PM’s final Cabinet list," Ojode said. He had been named Environment minister, in a reorganised Government by President Kibaki after Raila, Kalonzo Musyoka, Najib Balala and several LDP-aligned MPs were fired.

Seeing Ojode as one of the senior most MPs in southern Nyanza having done two terms and a half by the time the coalition Cabinet was being formed, the Assistant minister’s supporters have never forgiven individuals who participated in what his supporters believe was an open political fraud against him.

"The responsibilities under the Internal Security dockets are hectic. I have to work hand in hand with the minister to ensure service delivery. This is why I have very little time left for anything extra and everybody knows Raila remains my best friend," Ojode told The Standard On Sunday. But Migori MP John Pesa, who is the chairman of the Luo Parliamentary Group, said there was little concern over Ojode’s lukewarm approach.

"We know he is with us since every time he fails to attend our meetings, he always sends an apology. We consider him an obedient member of the ODM team and we have never considered him a soldier missing in action because he is very much present," Pesa said.

Using his influence in Government and the good will he enjoys across the political divide, Ojode is credited with the employment of hundreds of youth from Nyanza, the setting up of a new sugar factory in Oria in Ndhiwa, and the completion of several road projects.