ODM HAS NO "SECRET PACT" WITH KALONZO

Edwin Sifuna

The Orange Democratic Movement is shocked by claims made by Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka that there exists a secret pact between him and our party Leader H.E. Raila Odinga that will see Raila support him in 2022.

We wish to state categorically that no such deal exists. We are however not surprised that Kalonzo is making those claims. It is typical of Mr Kalonzo's character as a two faced treacherous character who is always whining while seeking to reap where he did not sow. It is a continuation of his “ kati kati” brand of politics. Kalonzo has indeed been variously described as a hyena who follows a man hoping the hands will fall.

We know that Kalonzo tried to push Raila to commit to support him in 2022 as part of the NASA pact and as a party, we flatly rejected that demand. It is why the coalition agreement left it open for the party to support any of the partners in the event the coalition was renewed in 2022.

The so-called deal therefore only exists in Kalonzo's wild dreams. Consistent with Kalonzo's politics of whining and lying while seeking to reap where he has sowed nothing, he claims that ODM frustrated NASA and that that is the reason he is seeking a coalition agreement with Jubilee. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a fact that for a whole year after 2017 elections, ODM single-handedly financed the NASA Secretariat, including paying staff salaries. That was because Wiper and all the other NASA parties refused to submit the Ksh10,000 monthly payment of their elected leaders to finance the Secretariat. ODM had no option but to stop shouldering the burden.

NASA became untenable after Kalonzo, Moses Wetangula and Musalia Mudavadi, in their usual cowardice, skipped the swearing in of its presidential candidate despite having committed to be present. They alone are responsible for the death of NASA.

 With their subsequent withdrawal of financial support to the Nasa secretariat it became clear to us in ODM that we were dealing with very dishonest cowards who could not be depended on to put up a fight. It is quite dishonest of Kalonzo to claim that he is seeking a coalition agreement with Jubilee because of ODM betrayal.

The fact is, Kalonzo is feeling threatened by Governors Charity Ngilu, Prof Kivutha Kibwana and Dr. Alfred Mutua. In seeking a deal with Jubilee, Kalonzo is seeking protection from the three Governors. It is equally extremely dishonest of Kalonzo to claim that ODM stopped attending meetings of NASA management committee. The fact is, members of that committee from the other parties long left.

Kalonzo knows that Johnson Muthama left Wiper long ago and has since joined Willam Ruto, together with Dr. Bonny Khalwale who was also a member of the committee. Even before the elections, Muthama had made it clear that he would never campaign for Wiper because of Kalonzo's politics of dishonesty, cowardice and backstabbing. Isaac Ruto left the NASA Coalition ahead of 2017 repeat elections and went back to Jubilee. Which management committee would Kalonzo be whining about now?

Kalonzo is a known traitor, currently undermining governors Ngilu, Mutua and Kibwana who won their seats against his wishes. It is his politics of slyness, cowardice and self aggrandisement that has made him lose Hon Muthama and it is that brand of politics that is pushing him to Jubilee despite the fact that his arrival will add absolutely no value to Jubilee.

As a party, we challenge Kalonzo to man up, stop whining and be able to stand up for something for once.ODM and its leader Raila Odinga owe Kalonzo nothing. As a party, we have moved on and we are not planning our politics around Kalonzo. We feel it is our duty to advise anybody or party seeking to work with Kalonzo to know that they will come to know nothing but singular misery from that association.

They will be harangued, blackmailed and extorted at every turn as their new "partner"pushes for goodies for himself and his close relatives. You will be expected to be a babysitter and sponsor to someone who will offer nothing in return in a toxic one way parasitic relationship.

 Edwin Sifuna
 Secretary General
 July 26 2020