ODM failed to secure the Ugenya MP seat in the by-election because those leading the campaigns were fronting their 2022 agenda, former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo has said.
David Ochieng of the Movement for Democracy and Growth won with 18,730 in the Friday by-election. He beat ODM's Chris Karan who got 14,507 votes.
Midiwo said all those who pretended to lead the Ugenya by-elections campaigns didn't mean well for ODM and the party candidate.
"None of the leaders in the campaigns fronted Karan's name. They were all shouting Ruto's name as if they were campaigning for DP William Ruto in Ugenya," he told the Star on the phone.
Midiwo, however, congratulated Ugenya residents for a shaming "enemies of progress" by electing Ochieng.
Midiwo said there was no way leaders who benefited from "stolen elections" would have delivered anything in Ugenya.
He said with such a team, ODM could not even have secured an MCA seat in Ugenya.
"Ochieng never lost the Ugenya elections in 2017 and what happened on Friday last week was a clear reflection of how residents voted in the general elections," Midiwo said.
He also dismissed Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo's excuse that they lost the Ugenya seat because party leader Raila Odinga never visited the constituency.
"That tells you that they were not in Ugenya to campaign for Karan but to wait for Raila. When I say the team does not mean well for Raila and ODM, I know what I'm talking about," Midiwo said.
The ex-legislator warned that ODM will lose ground in Nyanza if the party fails to overhaul its officials.
"No party can afford to lose critical seats and continue to do the same thing the same way. There must be changes in the party."
Midiwo said the party cannot have leaders with no agenda and criminals who stole the election, and expect progress.
Midiwo said there is no staunch ODM leader in Siaya, where Raila comes. "Look at Orengo, he is in SDP together with Donde. Elisha knows nothing about ODM and Atandi is too young to even know anything in ODM."
Siaya ODM chairperson Emily Awita, a nominated MCA, condemned leaders in the campaigns for not heeding to Raila's advice.
"We lost the Ugenya seat because members did not listen to Raila, especially when he warned against fronting the 2022 governor's campaigns in the Ugenya by-election," Awita said.
She said they would be talking of something else if members campaigned for Karan.
"I must admit that our leaders lost focus and concentrated on who will be the next governor in 2022 and the national politics,"Awita said.
Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda said lack of proper coordination led to their failure in the Ugenya by-election.
"Nobody campaigned for Karan properly. When I tried to refocus their energy towards Karan's agenda, no one was ready to buy my idea," Ochanda said.
He said there were so many infightings among leaders and the mess worked for Ochieng, not Karan.
Political analyst Chris Owala said ODM had the wrong leaders to campaign for Karan.
"What came out clearly in the campaigns was the 2022 political right rivalry," Owala said.
