The ODM Party might soon lose its grip on Kilifi county if threats by regional leaders are anything to go by.
On Saturday, Kaloleni MP Paul Katana said the party has given Kilifi a raw deal despite delivering more seats to the party than any other county.
Katana warned that the party would suffer an exodus in the coming elections.
He was speaking during a prize-giving day at Miyani Secondary School in Kaloleni. Katana said many supporters are losing faith in the party.
In the 2017 General Election, ODM under the chairmanship of Governor Amason Kingi, secured all the seven Kilifi MP seats, the governor, senator and Woman Representative seats.
ODM clinched 27 out of the 35 members of the county assembly seats.
"In Kilifi, we had people who were very loyal, but the party decided to nominate ‘foreigners’ to the assembly. These people did not know even where Kilifi was," Katana said.
He accused the party of planning to remove some of the promising leaders from the region, attributing the expulsion of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa to leaders from other counties who do not want to see someone from the Mijikenda rise to political fame.
He said the party is humiliating Aisha by asking her to apologise for a sin she did not commit.
SEEK FORGIVENESS
“If there is any leader who is supposed to seek for forgiveness it’s our party leader Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with someone he accused of stealing his votes,” added Katana.
Governor Kingi warned he will not participate in any by-election in Malindi should there be one after Aisha’s expulsion.
“I have a lot to deliver for the people of Kilifi. I have a legacy to leave, hence I do not have even a second to waste on a by-election. I have given them the go-ahead to campaign but I will not be party to it,” Kingi said.
He said there are many people who did worse things than Aisha but none of them has been summoned to appear before anyone. "We need to see more heads roll, not just Aisha. We have seen Obado (Migori governor) campaign for another candidate from another party in the senatorial by-election and we have not seen him being summoned.”
Jumwa has suffered for the party and was even arrested and detained at Muthaiga police station alongside other ODM leaders.
“I was surprised to learn that the handshake was meant for a few and not everyone. I have no business with ODM after 2022,” Aisha said.
Magarini MP Michael Kingi called on the party to stop disrespecting Kilifi leaders.
He said Aisha's expulsion was an affront to women's rights. “Aisha was elected by the people of Malindi and that should be respected. Other mechanisms should have been used to discipline her. ODM is a party that stands for democracy,” he said.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya echoed the sentiments.
