Ida: Women have rejected Shebesh

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Metropolitan Assistant Minister Elizabeth Ongoro (left), Housing Assistant Minister Margaret Wanjiru (center) and Mrs Ida Odinga at the Jesus is Alive Ministries (JIAM) on August 19, 2012. Photo/BILLY MUTAI  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By BILLY MUIRURI bmuiruri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Saturday, September 29  2012 at  19:36

IN SUMMARY

• Ms Shebesh is on record as saying the elections were “one major reason” she was leaving ODM.
• Mrs Odinga said the departure of the MP from ODM would not shake Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign as the party’s women had rejected her and were not ready to work with her.
• The Premier’s wife said she had nothing to do with the elections of the Orange Women Democrats at the Bomas of Kenya and only attended a part of the proceedings at the invitation of the ODM executive director Janet Ong’era.

Nominated MP Rachel Shebesh is incapable of marshalling grassroots support in any political duel, according to Ida Odinga, wife of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Mrs Odinga said the departure of the MP from ODM would not shake Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign as the party’s women had rejected her and were not ready to work with her.

“She lost in the ODM women’s elections from a ward in Makadara, through to the constituency, and even at Nairobi County. Then she came and forced her way into the national elections. The women rejected this,” Mrs Odinga said.

The Premier’s wife said she had nothing to do with the elections of the Orange Women Democrats at the Bomas of Kenya and only attended a part of the proceedings at the invitation of the ODM executive director Janet Ong’era.

“I had left the venue before elections started to attend a private function. I had not even met the lady who was elected chairperson. She is from Mwingi. It was purely a women’s affair done on the floor of the conference,” said Mrs Odinga.

Mrs Odinga spoke candidly for the first time about accusations that it was reportedly because of her that Mrs Shebesh and Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru had left ODM.

In an exclusive interview with the Sunday Nation, Mrs Odinga said the women rebelled against the MP’s “bulldozing”.

“She got agitated and I’m told she spewed unsavoury words to the women, especially the rural ones. The women rejected her because she had gone against the rules governing the elections,” said Mrs Odinga.

Ms Shebesh is on record as saying the elections were “one major reason” she was leaving ODM. (READ:'My party option still open' says Shebesh)

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• Ida: Women have rejected Shebesh

During the elections that were conducted using the mlolongo (queue) system, Ms Shebesh wanted to become organising secretary but lost to Hope Mwakio from Taita Taveta.

The chairperson’s post went to Beth Syengo, a former Mwingi secondary school teacher who beat Fridah Mwadime from Taita Taveta by more than 300 votes.

Other elected officials were Sylvia Ming’ala (secretary-general), Frida Gisairo (treasurer) and Zam Zam Ishmael from Samburu who was elected vice chairlady. The 20 delegates were drawn from 47 counties.

Mrs Syengo supported Mrs Odinga’s view and said they were relieved to have Ms Shebesh “off our backs”. “She called those who won ‘village rural women’ and we were angered. It was difficult working with her,” said Mrs Syengo.

However, Mrs Syengo said she wished Ms Shebesh well but warned her new party that “she incites women against others”. The nominated MP’s tribulations are said to emanate from bitter supremacy wars with Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro.

Mrs Ongoro said the election losers “would not win even if the polls were repeated 10 times”. Mrs Ongoro is close to Mrs Odinga, but she ignored inquiries about the saga. Neither did Ms Ong’era wish to be drawn into the controversy.

Ms Shebesh refused to comment on Mrs Odinga’s sentiments and told the Sunday Nation she would respond after reading the story. “I have no statement of what she said. I will talk when I see what you write,” she said and hung up.

Meanwhile, Mrs Odinga has said there is no conflict between the ODM Reloaded team and her lobby Sibanduki, Raila for Rais. She said the target groups were different and all were meant to decentralise Mr Odinga’s presidential campaign.

“Reloaded is made of youthful and energetic MPs. It is purely an MPs’ initiative. Sibanduki is targeting the common mwananchi. That is why all the officials are from the counties. They approached me to be the patron. I did not form it,” said Mrs Odinga. The lobby is chaired by Masha Maitha from Kwale.

According to Mrs Odinga, Sibanduki’s major brief is to consolidate those who voted for the Prime Minister in 2007. There have been claims that Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, a founder of the ODM Reloaded team, was unsettled in ODM after frustration by the “party leadership”. She ignored questions about it.