Stop mourning about Raila’s 2022 election loss, Evans Kidero tells ODM
UDA politicians from Nyanza, headed by ex-Nairobi governor Evans Kidero, have alleged that the dominant ODM party in the region is sabotaging other political contenders.
During a press briefing in Nairobi, the leaders raised apprehensions about what they perceived as a pattern of intimidation, disorder, and aggression orchestrated by the ODM, claiming that the party is employing these strategies to suppress competition from the UDA.
“What we are observing is a group still dealing with the aftermath of losing the 2022 elections. We strongly oppose ODM’s use of hate speech and ethnic incitement for political mobilization and warn that such tactics will only alienate Luo Nyanza from the rest of the nation.
“It is crucial to shift gears and enter a phase of negotiation and meaningful discussion. There is a transition underway, yet many of the ODM leader’s supporters don’t know that this process has begun, indicating a lack of public awareness of this ongoing development,” said Dr Kidero.
“The people of Nyanza have discovered that they are living in a barren land that cannot produce any products and they have decided to move and it is irreversible, if you look at the registration numbers, more than a third of the Luo voters have joined UDA and they are not going back,” he added.
Dr. Kidero cautioned that the region faced the risk of regressing into an era reminiscent of a one-party monolithic dictatorship.
“The region is being pushed into a corner where only one political party can thrive by strangling others. That is not how our democracy works. This is how tyranny works,” he said.
Two days following a disturbing incident at the funeral of the late Philip Makabong’o, former ODM chairman in Migori County, which was attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga, tensions escalated as youths armed with stones and crude weapons clashed.
The situation unfolded amid reports of Deputy President William Ruto’s strategy to gain influence in Raila Odinga’s Nyanza stronghold.
During the gathering, Rongo MP Paul Abuor, who briefly appeared, faced threats from the youths, accusing him of collaborating with President William Ruto’s government against Raila Odinga’s directives. As a result, he opted to leave the event.
During a press briefing, Kennedy Obuya, the UDA Homa Bay County chairman, called upon the government to scrutinize statements made by ODM politicians that he deemed as involving hate speech and ethnic incitement.
Specifically, he highlighted comments from National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi, Siaya Governor James Orengo, and Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, urging a comprehensive investigation into their statements, expressing concern about the potential divisive nature of their language.
“The Nyanza branch of the UDA Party rejects ODM’s political mobilization through hate speech and ethnic incitement and warns that these actions will only serve to isolate Luo Nyanza from the rest of the country,” he said.
Homa Bay businessman Sangira Stephene strongly denounced the unprecedented and unprovoked attacks, with some specifically targeting Interior PS Raymond Omollo.
“I would like to appeal to the ODM leadership to keep the PS out of their partisan politics. The PS has nothing to do with the outcome of the 2022 presidential election and the party’s dwindling fortunes in Nyanza,” he said.
Mr. Sangira emphasized that the Interior PS was diligently carrying out his responsibilities in line with the constitution, focusing on his official duties and not engaging in political matters.
“No amount of name-calling will deter the PS from discharging his mandate, nor will it change the resolve of the Nyanza electorate to chart a new political discourse away from the politics of thuggery that has for so long been promoted by the ODM leadership.
During the funeral, the ODM group directed their criticism towards “traitors,” alleging that these individuals initially used the party as a means to secure election but later switched allegiance to collaborate with political adversaries.
In response, Mr. Wandayi, on Sunday evening, dismissed the UDA faction, labeling them as self-interested individuals lacking a substantial presence at the grassroots.
“I have no time to respond to busybodies. Those are just but cartels suffering from too much idleness and are busy seeking undeserved relevance,” he said.
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Stop mourning about Raila’s 2022 election loss, Evans Kidero tells ODM
