ODM leader Raila Odinga puts off release of new graft dossier

ODM leader Raila Odinga and Secretary General Ababu Namwamba at his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi yesterday. The two held deliberations that focused on voter registration, grassroots elections and CORD's performance in Parliament. [PHOTO: COURTESY]

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga Tuesday failed to release names of prominent personalities he claims were implicated in corruption but were allegedly removed from the list that President Kenyatta submitted to Parliament in March.

Raila postponed the press conference he had called to release the names, to wait for ‘more explosive’ information before compiling a comprehensive list.

“The party leader has been told that there is more information coming and thus wants to wait so that he can compile a comprehensive list,” ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohamed said.

Yesterday, Raila held a meeting with ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba, where deliberations focused on an alleged onslaught on the anti-corruption institutions by the Jubilee administration.

The meeting comes in the wake of a vote by National Assembly to remove the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Executive Halakhe Wakho and his Deputy Michael Mubea.

“The party leader is on his way to Mombasa to attend Iftar this evening (yesterday), but am sure once the list is ready, he will call you,” Mr Namwamba told The Standard.

TITANIC BATTLE

Yesterday, Raila’s spokesman Dennis Onyango said the former PM instructed Namwamba to take full charge of the party ahead of the titanic battle in 2017 during the meeting at his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi.

In a statement to newsrooms last evening, Raila and Namwamba reportedly agreed to hold a retreat for the ODM Parliamentary Group and National Executive Council in August, and another one bringing together CORD members.

The two leaders also agreed to conduct an aggressive campaign to promote the party’s presence in Western.

PITCH TENT

As part of these efforts, ODM plans to hold various activities in the region to be spearheaded by Raila alongside MPs and other party officials.

Apart from Western, ODM also plans to pitch tent in Nyanza, Nairobi and Coast to drum up support for the party and CORD.

The Budalang’i MP has been reaching out to individuals who are over 18 years to acquire national identity cards and voter’s cards in readiness for 2017.

Under an initiative dubbed ‘Toklezea na ID’, Namwamba has been criss-crossing Western and Nyanza regions to mobilise the youth to acquire the documents.

The top ODM leaders also discussed the need to get all MPs on board, including those who have been de-whipped from parliamentary committees.

The leaders also reviewed preparations for the grassroots elections scheduled for July 31.