ODM old guard to face young blood in Siaya

By EVELYN KWAMBOKA and MAUREEN ODIWUOR

Kenya: Former Prime Minister Raila odinga will face off with rivals in the ODM as party faces an acid test in the upcoming Siaya gubernatorial by-elections.

The party’s internal bickering will be at play during the by-elections that have seen the so-called Young Turks take sides against veterans in the party.

The move saw Raila recently step in to caution the young leaders, telling them to hold their horses as the party still needed the services of the old guard.

And the Siaya by-election will present another opportunity for the Young Turks to battle it out.

This comes after Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission set October 17 as a day Siaya electorate returns to the ballot in a bid to fill the governor’s vacancy.

Several political parties have decided to throw their hats in the ring perceived to be ODM’s stronghold, with the Deputy Prime Minister William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) planning to field a candidate in the race.

The seat was left vacant after the High Court nullified Cornel Rasanga’s victory following an election petition filed by his political rival William Oduol.

Justice Aggrey Muchelule ordered for fresh elections after coming to the conclusion that Rasanga was not validly elected as governor during the March polls.

In the ODM, there are divisions on whether to allow Rasanga to defend his seat, since the court did not disqualify him from vying, or bring in a new contestant.

Rasanga says he will defend his seat, arguing that he was popular in the area that gave him 80,254 votes in the March polls.

“If I am not popular in Siaya, why did the 80,254 people vote for me? I am planning to appeal against the High Court’s decision,” he said.

A section of top leaders in the county are allegedly making efforts to bar him from contesting, a move that is to be resolved by Raila Odinga.

The leaders have already contacted six professionals from the area to carry the party’s mantle in the by-election, but sources say that most of them have declined the offer, saying Rasanga should be left to finish his term.

Young Turks are waiting for the nominee to be announced before they start campaigning.

“We want the party to give us a candidate first before we work on our campaign strategy. We will recapture the seat just the way we did with Cord in Makueni,” said Ugenya MP David Ochieng.

Traditionally, candidates have defended their seats in by-elections with most of them returning to office.

In the current case, leaders from the area argue that Rasanga was not disqualified by the court to defend his seat hence he should be given a chance and support in the looming political battle.

The list of six is seen by some politicians, including Rasanga, as a move to mislead the Siaya electorate ahead of the by-election.

In the January, Raila’s elder brother, Oburu Oginga, and Oduol were disqualified from the race after both of them claimed to have won the nomination.

The move followed a stalemate in the party on who to give the nomination certificate.

This saw Oduol move to the National Agenda Party of Kenya, where was declared second in the results announced by the IEBC.

With all eyes on Siaya, ODM party leaders are preparing to hit the ground after Raila’s visit to Rarieda constituency, an area that saw Rasanga gunner 23,314 votes in the March polls.

In as much as the High Court ruled that ‘ODM Brigade’ team interfered with the campaigns ahead of the General Election, the group comprised of Oburu, Senator James Orengo, Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo.

The three cannot be ignored and if they are to team up with the Young Turks in support of who the party will settle on, ODM will easily capture the seat.