The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) suffered a major blow yesterday when national Vice Chairman Paul Otuoma announced he would be resigning from his position. The party’s Secretary General Ababu Namwamba also threatened to resign if the party continues to disrespect him and other leaders from the Luhya community.
“I am not interested in position of being a mere vice chairman. Some leaders have been haunting us, branding us moles, yet we just raised our grievances when we felt we were being ignored by the party’s leadership. “I will submit my resignation letter next week. I will remain a member of the party,” Otuoma said.
Speaking in Matayos, Busia County, Namwamba said he was ready to step down from his position, despite insisting that he has invested heavily in the party. “I have defended Raila since I was elected MP. I stood with him in 2012 when Musalia Mudavadi and other leaders left him,” he said. He added: “I have been given a gun without bullets. I want the owner to take it back. Without powers I cannot serve the party well.”
Namwamba said he would continue to fight for party reforms, and that beginning next week, he would start meeting ODM delegates before announcing his political direction. The Budalang’i MP said ODM must begin to address the contentious issue of party nominations because in the past, those who had been rejected during party primaries were able to ‘buy’ nomination certificates.
Sirisia MP John Waluke welcomed the decision by Dr Otuoma to resign, and said ODM did not respect its leaders. And former Westlands MP Fred Gumo said many of those who often converged around ODM party leader Raila Odinga were political brokers. “ODM top leaders lack visionary leadership. The party has failed to conduct free, fair and transparent nominations. Every time nominations are marred with chaos,” said Gumo.
Gumo told Namwamba and other leaders from the region to quit ODM. “People surrounding Raila have turned ODM into a community party by misleading him and acting as political brokers,” he said.
Namwamba said: “I have already reached out to Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and I am looking forward to meeting other leaders from the community to ensure that as a community we have one political stand.”
- Reports by Alex Wakhisi, John Mondoh, Robert Amalemba and Ignatius Odanga
