Siaya ODM officials expel deputy governor Oduol from party

Orange Democratic Movement Siaya coordinating committee on Sunday expelled Siaya County deputy governor William Oduol from the party.

The ODM officials also endorsed calls by a section of the Siaya County Assembly members (MCAs) to have Oduol impeached by the Siaya County Assembly over failure to abide by the wants of the Orange party.

East Asembo MCA Gordon Onguru will table the motion of impeachment against Oduol before the Siaya County Assembly on Monday, May 29, 2023.

"The committee therefore unanimously resolved that the Siaya deputy governor be compelled to resign from his position as the DG since he no longer subscribes to the aspirations of the party,” Walter Okello, the committee’s organising secretary read in a statement to newsrooms.

They were speaking shortly after a meeting that was graced by Siaya governor James Orengo at the governor’s campaign secretariat offices in Siaya town.

Orengo did not address the press after the 'delegates-only' meeting that lasted for about an three hours.

"The committee therefore noted with concern the emerging trend of a few officials of the county government prosecuting falsehoods in the media instead of exploring the available dispute resolution mechanisms in the party,” the officials said in the statement.

Oduol, whose alleged evidence of corruption and mismanagement in the governor James orengo-led county executive was trashed by the Assembly last Monday, has lately been giving media interviews on the issue.

The officials alluded to Oduol being used by the party’s political opponents in the ruling Kenya Kwanza coalition and insisted that all he has to do is pave way for failing to act within the strict confines of the ODM party rules and provisions.

"Such individuals are deemed to be working in cahoots with the UDA (United Democratic Alliance) party and therefore no longer recognised as members of the ODM. They are agents of instability and confusion sent to distract the governor (Orengo) from his agenda,” Okello said.

The Star called and texted Oduol for his comment with regards to him being linked to the UDA but he did not answer calls or replied to SMS.

During a fundraiser in East Asembo last Friday, the MCAs who spoke chided Oduol and vowed to take him home when the right time comes.

During the meeting, the committee also validated the resolution of the ODM Bondo branch to replace area MP Gideon Ochanda as the Branch Secretary with East Yimbo MCA Francis Otiato.

Also, the committee approved the decision by the Gem constituency branch to overhaul the branch leadership, replacing MP Elisha Odhiambo-led faction with that of former MCA Nick Ochola.

MPs Ochanda and Odhiambo are among the nine ODM legislators who visited President William Ruto at State House and endorsed his leadership at a time when ODM maintained that the current presidency is illegitimate.

In the same breath, the orange party leaders supported calls for secession as is being championed by ODM boss Raila Odinga.

"The Siaya ODM fraternity will fully support the calls for self-determination and secession as mooted by our party leader,” said the committee’s vice chairperson George Mawere.

Mawere stressed that secession is necessary because the Kenya Kwanza government is not addressing the matter of high cost of living and exclusion in the process of reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

He added that the alleged government’s interference with the opposition-aligned political parties and lack of electoral audit and opening of 2022 presidential election servers are other grounds unto which they are compelled to want to secede.

Mawere noted that the urgency to secede has also been catalysed by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's insistence that the current government is like a shareholding company, where individuals or regions only get government opportunities depending on how they voted.