BUDALANG’I MP Ababu Namwamba has vowed to destroy the ‘dangerous cartel’ in ODM party if elected secretary general. He said there exists a cartel in the party, which interferes with nominations.
He was speaking at a radio talk show in Kisumu before meeting party delegates. Namwamba said the cartel bungled the last ODM primaries and caused apprehension ahead of the general election.
“Several candidates who won the party ticket were denied and this made the party lose so many seats,” Namwamba said. He said this led to voter apathy thus interfering with party leader Raila Odinga’s votes for President.
“If given the mantle to lead the party as its secretary general I will work without fear and favour and hand over nomination certificates to the people’s choices,” he said.
Kisumu county ODM youth league chairman Richard Ogira and Vihiga youth leader Ben Ombima endorsed Namwamba for the position.
Ogira said Namwamba’s experience while leading the Cord effect, ODM reloaded and the Mashinani teams gives him an upper hand over other candidates.
Ombima said some people in the party have branded Namwamba a Jubilee mole.“It is unfortunate they call Namwmba a mole simply because he is running for this powerful seat,” Ombima said.
He called on youthful ODM delegates to vote for Namwamba in the February 28-March 1 elections. Namwamba said if elected, he will ensure transparency in the Orange House that he said has been "opaque".
“I will create open days where party supporters will have an opportunity to visit Orange House and have an audience with the party’s leadership for better leadership,” he said.
He cautioned Raila Odinga’s aide against interfering with the comingelections. Namwamba said Owalo is one of the dangerous cartels in ODM that must be done away with for the betterment of the party.
Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura said it is unfortunate that leaders who are supporting Namwamba for secretary general have been branded Jubilee moles.
He said James Orengo and Jakoyo Midiwo have also been branded moles simply because they support Namwamba.
Obura said Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’s loose talk that ODM will select loyal party members during the elections is a mockery of democracy.
Last Week Kajwang’ apologised for using the term ‘select’ during a meeting with Nairobi delegates and said it was a slip of the tongue.
Obura said Kenyans are not interested in Kajwang’s popular‘Mapambano’ song and told him to change tact for the good of ODM.