Raila party ready for crucial Coast talks amid cracks

Mombasa County ODM Chairman Mohamed Hatimy (right) with other party officials addressing a press conference on June 2, 2018. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The meeting will bring together its national officials, governors, senators and MPs.

  • The meeting also comes as Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi is calling for the formation of a Coast political party.

  • Mr Sifuna had last week warned ODM MPs who had declared support for Mr Ruto of disciplinary action.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) top brass troop to Mombasa on Monday for a crucial meeting amid serious cracks within its ranks at the Coast.

The meeting, to be chaired by party leader Raila Odinga, will bring together its national officials, governors, senators and MPs.

Dubbed a “housekeeping retreat” by party Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, the meeting comes only days after several ODM MPs from the Coast region openly declared their support for Deputy President William Ruto in the 2022 General Election.

Mr Sifuna confirmed to Nation that the meeting will take place at Pride Inn hotel in the coastal city, but insisted it was a retreat to deliberate on party issues.

The meeting also comes at a time when Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, a hitherto staunch Raila ally, is calling for the formation of a Coast political party to field a presidential candidate in 2022. He also now works closely with Mr Ruto, casting doubts on his continued stay in the Orange party.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Mr Sifuna had last week warned ODM MPs who had declared support for Mr Ruto, led by the chairman of the Coast Parliamentary Group and Msambweni MP Suleiman Dori and his Malindi counterpart Aisha Jumwa, of disciplinary action for breaching party rules by expressing loyalty to a non-member.

Mr Odinga, however, issued a statement clarifying that the party will not gag its members from making political statements but with a rider that come the next elections, it will mobilise all within its ranks to rally behind its candidate.

Speaking in Siaya county on Saturday, Mr Odinga took a swipe at Mt Ruto, warning against early campaigns for the 2022 election.

He said: "Watu waache mambo ya kurandaranda na kurukaruka juu ya siasa," (people should stop loitering from one place to another because of politics)," he said, referring to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s recent remarks over Mr Ruto’s forays across the country.

He expressed optimism that the Building Bridges Initiative will achieve the objective of uniting Kenyans. Mr Odinga steered away from tomorrow’s retreat and  instead appealed to politicians to stop speculating on whether he will be on the ballot during the 2022 presidential election.

"Let us concentrate on rectifying the existing loopholes then we can engage in the rest at the right time," he said.

PILLARS OF DEVELOPMENT

He said the opposition will support the government to help it realise the fulfilment of the four pillars of development. "The government is on the right track and we need to work together to help them realise what they promised Kenyans," he said.

Although Mr Odinga last week denied that the party’s retreat has anything to do with the DP’s forays in his strongholds, the recent political developments in Coast are expected to feature.

Mr Ruto has been at the Coast, one of Mr Odinga’s strongholds, five times since the March 9 handshake.

Mr Odinga last week said Monday’s retreat was agreed on at the party’s last meeting in Naivasha on May 8 and was therefore not as a result of “recent political activities by Mr Ruto disguised as development tours witnessed in the Coast region.”

A section of ODM leaders from the Coast have vowed not to be intimidated by the party hierarchy for expressing support for Mr Ruto, saying it is all in the spirit of the March 9 handshake.

Mr Kingi, who hosted Mr Ruto in Malindi last week, wondered why the party considered the lawmakers rebels for “working with the DP to develop the region”.

UNITING PEOPLE

“These MPs are doing exactly what Raila is doing, uniting the people and I do not see why they are threatened,” he said.

He said the coastal people, who also want one of their own to be president, would sit down with Mr Ruto and talk because there is only one seat.”

Ms Jumwa said she would not be cowed by Mr Sifuna’s threats. “You cannot threaten an elected leader. I personally will not agree to be threatened because I am an iron lady.”

ODM won a majority of the elective seats in all the six counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Taita Taveta and Tana River during the last general election.

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, who on Thursday hosted President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, pledged to work with the government but said he remains Mr Odinga’s point-man in the region. Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and his Likoni counterpart Mishi Mboko are also Mr Odinga’s ardent supporters.

Two weeks ago, Mr Joho hosted Mr Odinga for Iftar dinner at the coastal city during which he said that ODM remained the party to beat in the region.

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

On Saturday, Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire said the recent political developments at the Coast will be discussed during tomorrow’s meeting.

“We know there are other leaders who have clearly indicated that their interests are lying elsewhere and not in the party any longer. They are expected to explain their reasons of supporting the other outfit,” said the MP.

Magarini MP Michael Kingi said most MPs were yet to know the agenda of the meeting but said they were ready for it.

“The invitation does not state the exact agenda of the meeting. We were just called to attend. So we shall be there to see the agenda. If it is about the recent political development in the Coast, we shall respond to it,” said Mr Kingi.

Mombasa Senator Mohamed Faki said although he was yet to know the agenda of the meeting, he expects the issue of cracks in the party not to dominate the talks.

“I have not yet known the agenda of the meeting but to my understanding this is just a party meeting with party issues taking centre stage.”