Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. ODM executive officer Magerer Langat on Friday dismissed claims Raila was grooming Fidel for the top post. PHOTO | FILE
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Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s succession has taken centre stage in the behind-the-scenes strategies for next month’s ODM elections with his close confidants keen to ensure that politicians from the party’s Luo Nyanza stronghold perceived to have presidential ambitions do not ascend to senior positions.
Mr Odinga has hinted he will be in the presidential race one more time in 2017, having unsuccessfully contested the last three elections.
Investigations by the Saturday Nation revealed that Mr Odinga’s inner circle has been working on a secret succession strategy that is particularly aimed at checking the ambitions of Siaya Senator James Orengo, Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno and Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero.
The strategy further seeks to have loyalists installed in the key party leadership positions and could also see Mr Odinga’s eldest son Fidel Odinga join active politics towards 2017.
The younger Odinga is being linked with a planned bid for the Kibra parliamentary seat, part of the former Lang’ata constituency represented by his father for 20 years until it was split into two in the last electoral boundaries review.
ODM executive officer Magerer Langat on Friday dismissed claims Raila was grooming Fidel for the top post.
“We have no information that he is being groomed for anything. But if he is interested then within ODM he is allowed to seek any position he may want. That’s his right and we can’t deny,” he said.
Mr Orengo has since backed out of the race for secretary-general despite support from some MPs from the region, including Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who was until recently been part of Mr Odinga’s inner circle.
Mr Otieno has maintained he is in the race for secretary-general to the end while Dr Kidero is campaigning for the vice-chairman’s post.
Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura has also been mobilising support for his candidature for the secretary-general post, formerly held by Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o.
Mr Otieno is one of the senior most politicians from the region and his ascendancy to the position of party secretary-general could propel him to the the summit of Luo Nyanza political leadership.
Mr Orengo, a prominent lawyer and a long-serving MP, was once seen as Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s heir in 1994 but was beaten to it by the more aggressive Raila Odinga.
Mr Kidero has recently stepped up his political activities in Nyanza, eliciting disquiet among Mr Odinga’s close allies. In addition to governing Kenya’s richest county, he is also reputed to have deep pockets.
Favour Mr Otieno Kajwang
The group working on the succession plan reportedly favour Mr Otieno Kajwang, the Homa Bay senator, for vice-chairman’s position, Ugenya MP Opiyo Wandai deputy secretary-general and Dr Agnes Zani, who hails from the Coast, region secretary-general.
On Wednesday Mr Odinga held a closed-door meeting with luo Nyanza MPs at the Karen home of Karachuonyo MP James Rege where discussions largely centered around the February election.
The meeting was, however, boycotted by a group of youthful MPs from Nyanza who are accusing Mr Odinga of arm-twisting them and attempting to block a free and fair election by coining a preferred line-up ahead of the national delegates convention next month.
“Our meeting at Mr Rege’s home was a normal Luo parliamentary group meeting. Actually we did not discuss individuals there but issues. It also had nothing to do with party elections,”Nyando MP Fred Outa, a close confidant of Mr Odinga, told the Saturday Nation.
Mr Outa also dismissed talk about Mr Odinga’s succession as premature, describing those thinking about it as committing an abomination.
“People should concentrate in working in the positions they currently hold and how we can improve our people’s lives instead of gossiping about Raila succession,”Mr Outa said.
The tension occasioned by the party election differences has been so palpable that Mr Odinga and some MPs previously known to be close to him reportedly no longer see eye to eye.
Mr Midiwo, who openly voiced support for Mr Orengo, has been isolated after his loyalty came under question by among others Dr Oburu Oginga, the former PM’s eldest brother. Oburu who has openly opposed Nyanza MPs eyeing key party posts.
Last Saturday Mr Midiwo, who was in Kisumu, stayed away from a key Cord rally in the town to avoid confrontation with some of Mr Odinga’s allies.
The Gem MP was also absent from the meeting at Mr Rege’s home.
Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, who is also in the race for secretary-general, has warned against interference with party elections.
“We have always talked about democracy and cried every time our elections are rigged. We should not be seen to be part of a group that wants to obstruct democracy,” said Mr Namwamba.
Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga called on the party leadership to allow those declaring interest in various seats to go ahead compete with their opponents at the elections even as it seeks regional balance.
“ODM is a national party and should have all regions represented in it. But if there are people interested in contesting they should be allowed to do so,” Mr Magwanga said.
Today Mr Obura’s group is expected in Ndhiwa where party elections are likely to dominate discussions.
“We will be in Ndhiwa at a funeral ceremony of a step mother to area MP Aghustinho Neto,” said Ugunja MP David Ochieng.
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