Migori ODM leaders are split over governor Okoth Obado’s tribulations and party membership.
One wing has expelled the governor from the party. They accuse him of tainting ODM image.
Obado has been charged with the murder of university student Sharon Otieno and her unborn son. The two were lovers.
He is also being investigated for alleged possession of illegal guns and loss of county cash. The governor
has denied any wrongdoing.
On Monday, Obado met party delegates in Migori town at an office he had donated to the party last year.
The office had been rejected by the party following fierce political rivalry between Obado and current Senator Ochillo Ayacko.
His faction has retained it as the official ODM county headquarters.
On Monday, only his allies were present. They included ‘chairman’ Festus Mapesa, ‘secretary general’ and Masaba MCA Abedi Maroa and ‘organising secretary’ Joseph Nyambori.
Obado and his political adviser Denis Orero met the delegates off camera. The embattled county chief refused to address the press.
The national office swiftly disowned the meeting. “ODM has not held any delegates meeting in Migori as purported,” the party posted on Facebook and Twitter.
But Nyambori maintained that Obado is in the party to stay.
"We want to send a clear message that any attempt to expel our county patron Obado or leaders allied to him will fail,"
he said.
Mapesa said he is the bona fide chairman in Migori, a position he assumed last year after county leaders campaigned for Ayacko who was then an Independent candidate for governor, against ODM’s Obado.
"We are the ODM party officials in Migori. Today, we’ve sent a clear message that we have grassroots officials on our side,"
he said.
The group claimed to have written to Orange House to demand that they be recognised as officials.
In response, ODM said bona fide officials led by chairman Philip Makabong’o and secretary general Jossy Olala are the ones mandated to organise such meetings in consultation with the national office.
It said in a statement that the meeting was “therefore not an ODM party event. "It’s not recognised by the party leadership and the national secretariat,"
it said.
Last week, the Makabong’o team met and expelled the governor and his faction from the party.
"We’ve taken the decision after Obado and the team met with Deputy President William Ruto and verbally attacked our party leader Raila Odinga,"
Olala said.
Olala said as far as Migori county party leadership is concerned, Obado was not a member. They requested the headquarters to confirm their decision.
Early this month, Obado hosted Ruto twice in Migori county on ‘development tours’.
He promised to work together with the DP, saying he would go to every part of the country with him. This came after they held several meetings.
Soon after, Obado accompanied Ruto on his Nyeri tour. Both took part in the Dr Wahome Gakuru Memorial Half Marathon.
During a meeting at Kendege TTI, Obado blamed ODM leader Raila Odinga for his woes.