The euphoria that once propelled the old autocrat and his outfit to mythical adulation by millions of people has run its course. The goodwill of the glorious people of Kenya has been extinguished through betrayal, exploitation and a lackadaisical attitude. People are tired, sick and repulsed by un-ending string of games of musical chairs and propaganda. They want and expect, real, concrete results. They want and deserve deeds, not empty words. They are no longer interested in buffoonery, clownish prattle and Vitendawili. The people want to see positive, progressive and concrete policy options. They want to see practical programs on unemployment, grand corruption and infrastructural decay.
Kenyans are interested on practical plans on how we can harvest, store and use rain and underground water for irrigation, increased food production and food security. The people want affordable high quality health care and education; not empty rhetoric. The people want and expect to see a viable - and real - alternative government in waiting; not a disorganized, discordant and confused group of self-seekers. ODM has been unable and unwilling to fully discharge its onerous responsibilities as a viable opposition to the Jubilee coalition primarily because of its terminal illnesses such as lack of ideological clarity and focus; lethargic and deeply compromised leadership; and institutionalized culture of deception. The rot is deep and extensive; it cannot be camouflaged.
ODM has been dead throughout; the occasional dazzle, magnified by media hoopla, notwithstanding. To begin with, since its founding in 2007, it has never held a free, fair and credible party election. The ODM constitution, too, has been a malleable, ever-changing amoeba. The number of ODM party organs has kept changing and shifting depending on the idiosyncratic needs and ravages of the autocratic Party Leader and the dictates of circumstances. Tired and punctured party officials like Henry Kosgey and Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o who resigned on February 28th 2014 had been hand- picked and imposed on those positions by the Party Leader not because they were the best and most dynamic for those positions (Kenyans know Henry Kosgey’s background), but merely on account of their proven malleability. Other previous party leaders like Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Najib Balala and Charity Ngilu who had been incorporated into the ODM leadership hierarchy due to their perceived regional popularity – or for tactical reasons – soon found themselves unwanted and unappreciated. They were deemed disposable by the autocratic party leader.
The autocrat considered himself indispensable, invincible and ‘a historical inevitability.’ Many of his supporters have treated him as a myth, an enigma, and a legend all rolled up into one. He was supposed to be Kenya’s redeemer from all ills. Subsequently, the expendables soon voted with their feet. Thus ODM leadership has never been popularly ‘chosen’ by its members. They have consistently been selected through contrived or manipulated ‘elections.’ The renewal, rejuvenation and rebirth inherent in fresh leaderships and that ought to organically emerge from transitional or succession elections haven’t been possible because free, fair and credible party elections have never been experienced in ODM. This is the indisputable truth: ODM has been practically dead since its founding. ODM, as it is presently constituted, is also legally dead.
Firstly, it’s been rudderless and operating under the totalitarian party leader for eons in contravention of democratic governance principles that require periodic credible party elections. Although sporadic but fake party elections have been organized in different parts of Kenya, none has occurred in ODM’s perceived cradle of Luo Nyanza. Secondly, it’s also in violation of the ODM constitution, which doesn’t provide for the imposition of ‘interim ad-hoc leaders’ following deliberately botched up party elections.
The induced abortion of ODM party elections of February 28, 2014, has left the party with no functioning offices and office-holders. The partisan party hoodlums now hypocritically and cynically referred to as ‘Men in Black’ disrupted the Kasarani meeting after the previously hand-picked party leaders – including the autocratic Party Leader, the chairman and secretary general - had resigned but before the process had concluded. That rendered ODM both legally and practically leaderless. The attack was staged when it became obvious that the self- styled ‘Team Fresh’ was on the verge of victory. And because ‘Team Fresh’ led by Ababu Namwamba – and not the doting, conservative Agwambo faction ˗ most observers knew that Kasarani wouldn’t be allowed by the ‘ODM party owners’ to produce a legitimate slate of party leaders.
Hankering on ‘Team Fresh’s’ side are a disparate group comprising distinct politicians and formations whose only reason for collaboration is their apparent ambitions to succeed Agwambo and his cronies. This group consists of Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, Siaya Senator James Orengo, Rongo MP Dalmas Otieno, and Raila’s first cousin and Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo. But my research also discloses that this team has been receiving ‘moral’ support from Ida Odinga. Apparently, Elizabeth Ongoro’s candidature was Ida’s project within ‘Team Fresh’ with the singular intention of ‘stopping Dr Zani.’
Whether this theory is true or false is immaterial. What’s important and intriguing is that it is this group that is alleged by the ‘ODM owners’ to be comprised of ‘moles’ of the Jubilee leadership. Yet when the ‘Men in Black’ hoodlums attacked on February 28th, it was clear that they were doing so at the behest of the Party Leader and his cronies like the Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’, nominated MP Oburu Oginga, Funyula MP Dr. Paul Otuoma, and ODM activist George Aladwa. This is the team embroidered by nominated Senator Dr Zani. Days before the Kasarani debacle, Aladwa, Otuoma, Oburu and Kajwang’ had loudly and repeatedly protested at the ‘attempt by Team Fresh to steal Raila’s party.’ “Let them know that we will not allow them to snatch the party from its owner, Raila Odinga. ODM is Raila Odinga, and Raila Odinga is ODM! They can leave with their secret ballot!” Aladwa thundered.
When I sought comment from a friend and a fellow political strategist on the ODM imbroglio, his response was as cynical as it was apt: “Ja-Nyando,” he stated, “when you find someone demolishing his house, you can either watch quietly as he does so; or you can help him complete the task.” Yet the very notion of comparing a political party like ODM with personal possession is largely responsible for the way Kenyans have neglected to take charge of their democratic process and permitted demagogues and self- seekers to occupy positions of power and leadership at our collective expense.
Under the Political Parties Act, all parties are public entities. It is money drawn from the public coffers that fund party operations and activities, including the tens of millions that ODM wasted at their fake convention. In exchange, Kenyans expected them to conduct all their operations transparently, with decorum, maturity and in strict adherence to the Constitution, the applicable laws, the party constitution and democratic principles. The vibrancy of the party and its growth depends on continuous development of ideas, accommodation of divergent views and providing sustainable solutions to the country which is the foundation of social democracy that ODM is founded on.
