ODM, UDA fallout looms as zoning standoff escalates

 At the heart of the dispute is a contentious zoning arrangement, with ODM demanding that the ruling party should not field candidates in its strongholds.

 The hardline position taken by ODM national chairperson Gladys Wanga has complicated efforts to strike a balance, raising fears of a breakdown in cooperation.

 In fact, the proponents of the zoning have termed it their irreducible minimum ahead of their 2027 negotiations with Ruto.

 Speaking in Kisumu on Sunday, the party chairperson Wanga, pushed for zoning saying it will form part of the bare minimum for any pre-election agreement with Ruto's party.

 Homa Bay Town MP Opondo Kaluma, a proponent of the zoning push, has even threatened that Orange party is ready to field own presidential candidate against Ruto if UDA party will insist on having candidates in ODM traditional turfs.

 “We either do zoning and field a single candidate for all seats from president to MCA or do it for no seat and allow all parties to field candidates for all seats from president, governors, MPs to MCAs and await pre-election coalition,” Kaluma said on Tuesday.

 “The ODM party is ready either way.”

 Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi said zoning will be non-negotiable, maintaining that the ruling outfit must respect ODM's traditional strongholds.

"There is no negotiation when it comes to zoning. Because we are not going to allow UDA to plant candidates here in Muhoroni. All our party strongholds are reserved for ODM," he said in Muhoroni on Sunday.

 The pro-zoning within ODM have expressed concern that in the absence of zoning, their bases could be eroded and their numbers reduced in the coming Parliament.   

 But their broad-based partners led by UDA secretary general Hassan Omar have rejected calls by ODM top guns for special protection of their turfs insisting every party has a right to field candidates anywhere in the country.

 “ODM are saying the Coast is their stronghold and it should be left to them. I want to tell them that the region belongs to its residents. They should allow us to compete fairly,” Omar said in Kilifi on Saturday.

 “If you believe this is your stronghold, then why are you worried? Come, campaign, and win. There is no problem,” he added.

 But even within ODM, the fallout deepens with some MPs openly rebelling against zoning push and instead advising the party to conduct credible nominations.

 The lawmakers led by National Assembly’s Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo, urged the top leadership to abandon the plan in favour of free and credible nominations.

 “ODM has always managed to successfully front candidates without any formal form of zoning, perhaps there may be silent agreements in urban areas like Nairobi, but there has never been a need for zoning for ODM,” Millie said urging the party to reconsider the push.

 “We need to listen to the public and the public is keen that we show what we have done for them. When we start pushing an agenda strongly of zoning it means that we are actually putting our personal interests ahead of that of our constituents.”

 “If I have worked for my constituency, I should not fear meeting any opponent, so when we are talking about zoning it actually seemed to suggest that we want favourable treatment which I don't think any of us wants.”

 Millie was accompanied by MPs Felix Odiwuor (Lang’ata), Jared Okelo (Nyando), James Koyoo (Muhoroni), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda.

 The legislators argue that zoning undermines internal democracy and risks locking out popular aspirants, warning that the move could spark resentment at the grassroots.

 They insist that only transparent and competitive nominations can guarantee legitimacy and strengthen the party ahead of upcoming political contests.

 Gem MP Odhiambo said there should be no zoning worry if the party conducts free and fair elections.

 “As the MP for Gem, my position is that I encourage our party to carry credible election nominations. If you have a credible nomination, you don't have to worry about zoning because ODM is still a popular party in the republic of Kenya so if you do credible nomination the ODM candidate will still win the election,” Odhiambo said.

 The dissent now exposes growing cracks within ODM, piling pressure on the leadership to rethink its strategy and restore confidence among its ranks.

 At the same time, the team led by Millie has raised alarm over a silent but coordinated push within sections of the party to edge out Interior PS Raymond Omollo from his position as Principal Secretary.

 The legislators warned that unless those behind the push retreat, the party risks heading into a turbulent period marked by internal wrangles and waning cohesion.

 Muhoroni MP said some of the ODM leaders are insecure with Omollo’s presence across the four Luo Nyanza counties and are pushing to cut him to size.

 “Here (in Nyanza) some of us, because of selfish interests and because one civil servant has a larger presence on the ground than him or her, every opportunity they get with the powers that be, all they ask for is for his removal,” Koyoo said.

 Nyando MP Jared Okelo said the push to axe Omollo is far-fetched, saying the Luo community has suffered years of marginalisation and under-representation in government.

 “We have been pestering the powers that be to offer us more opportunities and not to remove any one of us. I have heard that there are people propagating the idea of replacing  Raymond Omollo from the Interior ministry, which would be far-fetched for people from my political persuasion to now persuade William Ruto to remove Omollo,” Okelo said.

 Millie said some of the ODM leaders are behaving as if ‘they are Raila’, a fete she noted is not fitting any crop of leaders.

 “As communities that have been marginalised, whatever positions we have we need to protect because we've been marginalised for too long,” Millie said.