- Raila Odinga’s ODM has given its elected leaders freehand to work with President William Ruto’s administration but warned them against falling for his political tricks.
- The party said that elected governors, MPs, senators and MCAs are free to work with the government of the day to the extent that they bring development to their electorate.
Image: NATIONAL IRRIGATION AUTHORITY (NIA)
Raila Odinga’s ODM has encouraged its elected leaders to work with President William Ruto’s administration, but warned them against falling for his political tricks.
The party said elected governors, MPs, senators and MCAs are free to work with the government to the extent that they bring development to their electorate.
“We don’t always tell our members what to do because we believe that as elected leaders, they know what is right and wrong,” ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said.
Sifuna said that by virtue of being elected, all their members are part of government and are expected to deliver services to their electorate.
“When we held our meeting in Naivasha, we told our members to work with the government to the extent that they deliver for their people. At the end of the day, we will all be made to account to the people who elected us,” the Nairobi senator reckoned.
ODM national chairman John Mbadi and Nairobi branch chairman George Aladwa supported Sifuna’s statement, stating that their members are free to work with the government of the day.
The declaration comes in the wake of murmurs in the Orange party and the entire Azimio opposition coalition over the dalliance of some of its members with the new administration.
Opposition leaders, especially governors, have publicly declared they would work with the government, triggering whispers within the opposition circles that they could be planning to decamp.
They include governors Abdulswamad Shariff (Mombasa), Gideon Mungáro (Kilifi), Simba Arati (Kisii), Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega) and Wilber Otichillo (Vihiga).
But the leaders have defended their decision, saying they are doing so for the sake of development of their regions.
“My critics are unhappy that I’m working with President William Ruto. I’m in charge of Kisii county and Dr Ruto is the President. What is wrong when two leaders work together?” Governor Arati posed.
“We have shelved politics and decided to work together with President William Ruto to attract development in this region,” Governor Otichillo said last month.
Mbadi said the ODM elected leaders cannot insulate themselves from the government as they derive their mandate from taxpayers.
“Any elected leader cannot work without the government. They must work with the government. And that is why we said our governors are free to work with the government of the day,” Mbadi said.
Mbadi said that the party has discouraged its members from the adversarial relationship with the government.
“We have two level of government but eventually we have one government headed by (President) Ruto. There is no way we can isolate ourselves. Everybody pays tax so that they can get services and these services are offered by the government,” he said.
The nominated legislator however warned the leaders must differentiate between working with the government and working with UDA or Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
“There is a difference between working with government and with UDA or Kenya Kwanza. If they are working with UDA, then that is political and we must call that out,” he said.
Aladwa held that governors must work with the government for proper development in the counties.
“When I served as the mayor of Nairobi, I was from opposition party but I worked with the government of the day then. That collaboration must be three and we cannot run away from it,” he said.
However, Aladwa maintained that their members must remain and demonstrate their loyalty to their party leader and the party that sponsored their candidature in the elections.