Monday, June 11, 2012

MP mixed combative style with hard work


MP mixed combative style with hard work

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Ndhiwa MP Orwa Ojodeh was perhaps the busiest member of the frontbench in any given week, as he had to respond to MPs’ queries about the state of security in the country.
Photo|FILE Ndhiwa MP Orwa Ojodeh was perhaps the busiest member of the frontbench in any given week, as he had to respond to MPs’ queries about the state of security in the country.  
By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, June 10  2012 at  20:42
Parliament was thrown into mourning with the death of Internal Security minister George Saitoti and his deputy Joshua Orwa Ojodeh.
National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende sent condolences to the families and constituents of the two leaders.
“Parliament and its staff  feel a great sense of loss at the death of Mr Ojodeh and Prof Saitoti,  one of the senior-most parliamentary member since 1983 and as Leader of Government Business for many years.
“We are really affected by the events of the family and we condole with their families,’’ said National Assembly Clerk Patrick Gichohi on behalf of the Speaker.
But it is Mr Ojodeh’s hardworking nature and unmatched sense of duty that will hang around Parliament this week.
He was seen as the face of the Ministry of Internal Security and Provincial Administration. Through him, it was easy to put a face to the government bureaucracy.
And it is with this in mind that the minister got the name ‘sirikal’, a corruption of the Kiswahili wordserikali, meaning government.
Sacco chairman
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Mr Ojodeh was the chairman of the MPs’ savings and credits society, which has a capital base of Sh825 million.
The Ndhiwa MP was perhaps the busiest member of the frontbench in any given week, as he had to respond to MPs’ queries about the state of security in the country.
Elected in 1994 in a by-election that came after the defection of Mr Tom Obondo from Ford-Kenya to Kanu, the Ndhiwa legislator was one of the longest-serving MPs from Luo Nyanza.
His death came just three days after he made a promise to two MPs - Bura’s Abdi Nuh and Ikolomani’s Boni Khalwale - that he would answer their questions as soon as they appeared in the Order Paper.
Dr Nuh wanted details on the action taken against police officers, who shot three of his constituents in Charindende.
Dr Khalwale had asked about a confusing situation in which the government had appointed two chiefs to a single location in Nandi County.
“On the issue of the chief, once the Clerk has put the question on the Order Paper, I will deal with it the way it should be dealt with. Thank you,” said Mr Ojodeh. Those were his last words to Parliament.
That day, Cherengany MP Joshua Kutuny had noted the sense of duty of Mr Ojodeh, saying it was evident that he was one of those who took his job seriously.
Perhaps, the MP had no option because he dealt with security matters.
Mr Ojodeh was a zealous defender of police officers and government. He “never liked playing politics with issues of security”, as he put it in a previous interview with the Nation.
“The police are not sleeping, in order for us to sleep (undisturbed at night),” said Mr Ojodeh, when MPs questioned him on the rising cases of insecurity and apparent rise of extra-judicial killings.
Then there are days when he could not condone hypocrisy from politicians who shook hands with the devil and then came round to corner the government for letting criminals run amok.
Take the case of a debate in 2009 when the proscribed Mungiki gang had descended on a village in Mathira and killed 29 people.
Mr Ojodeh was not amused that some politicians, including Cabinet ministers, wanted the gang handled with kid gloves, and that some had even said Mungiki needed the ear of the government to stop its murderous tendencies.
“I am on record that we will never negotiate with criminals as long as I am still the assistant minister, Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security.
“They have brothers and parents but we should condemn them. Why is it that even the religious leaders of this country have never come out openly to condemn those people?” asked Mr Ojodeh.
He went on: “How come that some of my colleagues suggested that we negotiate with criminals? If you know that you are involved in any criminal activities, then you better report to the nearest police station.
“You cannot come out and condemn the same police officers who are trying to restore law and order and claim that there are extra-judiciary killings.”
Several times on the floor of the House, Mr Ojodeh told MPs that he would ensure they get police officers to address insecurity in their constituencies, or that he would see to it that a patrol car was sent to help beef up security, or that outlaws had no place in the country.
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“We will arrest you”, was his favourite refrain to outlaws. For instance, when he went to address issues of cattle rustling in Isiolo, he gave the residents a piece of his mind:
“I don’t want to hear these things again. The President keeps asking me what is happening in North Eastern and in Isiolo.
“I spend many sleepless nights because of this cattle-rustling menace. I tell you, we know cattle rustling began as a sporting activity, and then it graduated into commercial activity.
“It is now a syndicate and the masterminds are in Nairobi. We know that, and we’ll arrest all those involved. If you want cattle, why would you kill a person?” he posed.
And on the proliferation of small arms in the country, Mr Ojodeh had a warning for the culprits: “We want it to be as punitive as possible to an extent that if a thief is found with a gun, then they will disown it because they know they are headed to prison for life.”
Politically, there are those who thought he was too independent to be a sycophant of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, as an ODM legislator. There were even reports that his dalliance with key powerbrokers of the PNU wing of the coalition government had him isolated.
When his father died last year, Mr Ojodeh’s network was clear when the “whole government” and key politicians went to Ratang’a village in Homa Bay County in nine helicopters for the burial of Mzee Ojode Otieno.
Sacco chairman
The key figures at the ceremony were President Kibaki, Mr Odinga, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru 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 said.
Combative, straight-shooting, yet quite approachable and friendly. That was Mr Ojodeh’s style.

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