Nairobi MPs snub Ruto as cracks emerge in UDA-ODM union

Lawmakers from Nairobi County on Monday snubbed two engagements by President William Ruto, as cracks emerge within his broad-based arrangement with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Only four of the 19 city lawmakers accompanied the President to Lang’ata Constituency, where he had gone to inspect the affordable housing project and attended a meeting at the State House.

Makadara MP George Aladwa was tasked with mobilising lawmakers from Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), sending invites to his colleagues. But only Phelix Odiwuor (Lang’ata), Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North) and Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris honoured the invite. Governor Johnson Sakaja also attended.

In the invite, Aladwa, ODM’s chairperson in Nairobi, said the president had requested ODM MPs to accompany him to Highrise Ward at 11am, a move possibly aimed by Ruto to show off his new alliance with Raila. “We as ODM party Nairobi County Members of Parliament will have a meeting with H.E today (Monday)... at State House Nairobi,” Aladwa’s invite read in part, apologising for the short notice.

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Missing in action from ODM were Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and lawmakers Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), TJ Kajwang’ (Ruaraka), Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands) and Peter Orero (Kibra).

Sources told The Standard that differences within ODM over whether to support Ruto’s broad-based arrangement with Raila caused the blackout on the president.

Within ODM, there is a faction that is pro-government and another anti-government. Differences between them have often played out in the public. For instance, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has often called out his ODM colleagues who lashed out at the broad-based formation. Sifuna, who is ODM secretary general, faulted the president for “convening” ODM members, arguing he had no such powers.

“As a legislator, I find it repugnant to the doctrine of separation of powers for a president to summon us to State House. I found the invitation extremely disrespectful and ill motivated to perpetuate nefarious political ends,” said the Nairobi Senator.

Babu told The Standard that he had not been invited to the meeting, ostensibly owing to his stance against Ruto and, recently, the latter’s truce with Raila.

“They invited everyone else except me,” he said, adding he would have skipped the meeting had the invite come. “I don’t want to wine and dine with the oppressors until such a time that they change and work for the people.”

Strangely, all MPs from Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) were a no-show, amid reports that they were not invited. MPs Benjamin Gathiru alias Major Donk (Embakasi Central) and James Gakuya (Embakasi North) are affiliated with DP Rigathi Gachagua and have been critical of the president and his allies.

Gathiru said it was deliberate that Kenya Kwanza MPs, all of whom hail from Mount Kenya, were left out. 

“The UDA MPs were not invited but looking at it is about our Mt Kenya agenda, there have been determinations to ensure people from the Mountain are left out,” he said, stating that the Head of State now prefers working with MPs from Azimio coalition. 

He pointed out that the rift in UDA also involves the supremacy battle between Sakaja and Gakuya, who want to be the party’s chairperson in Nairobi.

Roysambu MP Augustine Kamande Mwafrika, while admitting he was also not invited, said he could have accompanied the President to Kibra if he was notified.