Ugenya MP David Ochieng has told the ODM party to stop associating him with Deputy President William Ruto.
Speaking in his constituency on Monday, Ochieng said his political opponents most of whom are ODM members were associating his MDG Party with Ruto to reduce its popularity.
He said the opponents were keen on his political downfall and were constantly painting him as anti-ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“Some of the ODM leaders whom I defeated their candidate in Ugenya have devised a strategy to paint me as an anti-President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga to reduce my popularity on the ground but I won’t allow them,” Ochieng said.
He said he had rolled up his sleeves and was ready to take on his opponents head on.
Ochieng was first elected in 2013 on an ODM party ticket but ditched the orange party to form MDG to defend his seat in 2017.
He lost the election to Chris Karan of ODM but recaptured his seat in 2019 in a by-election after successfully challenging Karan's win.
“I had abandoned ODM after being short-changed and have formed MDG party to rival ODM in Nyanza so that I don’t caucus with Nasa or Jubilee Party,” he said.
The MP chaired a public participation meeting on the proposed construction of the fifth agricultural college in Ugenya constituency.
“I do not know why the ODM party is keen on wooing me back yet they closed the door for me during the by-election in Ugenya. I wanted to join Nasa as a party during the Ugenya by-election but I was branded a Jubilee mole,” Ochieng said.
The lawmaker said he was not aware of when he changed from being a mole to Nasa member for ODM to de-whip him from committees.
He said any attempts to associate him with DP Ruto will again flop.
The Ugenya MP is among those targeted by ODM for removal as members of the National Assembly's Health Committee.
In the changes announced by Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, MPs allied to Ruto have been de-whipped from House committees for going against the party.
“We tried to affiliate ourselves with Nasa in the two elections, but some people in ODM refused, and the situation has never changed,” he said.
Ochieng said he was focused on revamping his party and will from August start recruiting members and selecting persons interested in various positions in readiness for the 2022 General Election.
Edited by P.O
