Homa Bay ODM youth leader de-whipped for refusing to lead protests

ODM leadership in Homa Bay has made changes in the county youth league leadership after Kevin Ouma allegedly refused to lead colleagues in the mass action.

He has been accused of advising youths in the area not to heed Raila Odinga's call for mass action.

The party leader Raila Odinga has called for demonstrations over the high cost of living in the country.

Raila also wants the 2022 presidential election results made public by opening the IEBC server.

He has claimed that the electoral agency announced the results in favour of President William Ruto after rigging him out.

The ODM leader who doubles up as Azimio-One Kenya leader together with colleagues Martha Karua and Kalonzo Musyoka has conducted rallies in some counties to mobilize supporters to engage in the protests.

Since mass action began, Raila supporters in Migori, Kisumu and Siaya counties have engaged in demonstrations leaving out Homa Bay.

But last Friday, Ouma, Shem Odoyo and Duncan Oduya are accused of having led a section of ODM youths and advised residents not to engage in the protests.

They argued that demonstrations would paralyze businesses in the county and scare away investors.

The youths said the stalemate between Azimio –One Kenya coalition leaders and Kenya Kwanza can be solved through dialogue and not demonstrations.

Ouma said protests should be done in Nairobi and not in other counties.

“Raila supporters should go and protest in Nairobi. We don’t want any behaviour that can paralyse businesses in Homa Bay,” Ouma said.

The remarks have allegedly angered Homa Bay ODM leadership which decided to dewhip Ouma.

On Sunday, a group of ODM officials led by Homa Bay county assembly majority leader Richard Ogindo and some youths held a meeting and resolved to replace Ouma with Robert Ouko.

In a statement read by Ogindo, the party youth league said Ouma was not acting in their interest.

“From today henceforth, Robert Ouko is the party youth leader,” Ogindo said.

Other officials were not affected but were reshuffled within the party. Justus Maguo was elected as the deputy leader of the youth league.

Ogindo said the new officials will start work immediately.

Sinod Okello was elected as the organising secretary. Erick Jackyim maintained his position as the secretary of the ODM youth league. Other positions will be filled later. 

“Treasurer of the group will be someone from either Suba South or Suba North constituency while the deputy secretary will be from Ndhiwa,” Ogindo said.

But Ouma has dismissed the changes saying they were not sanctioned by the party's top leadership.

He said any changes in the youth leagues should be made and delivered by the youth themselves.

“He (Ogindo) represents MCAs in the county assembly and not youths. He therefore cannot purport to engage in leadership changes,” Ouma said.

Ouma was endorsed by Raila in 2015 in a lineup that saw Governor Gladys Wanga becomes the party chairperson in the county.

“We have neither received information from the party nor been served with any notice about his ouster,” he added.