Which way for post-Raila Odinga Orange Democratic Movement party?

It is no longer which way for the Orange Democratic Movement party but when? That’s the hard political position that the Raila Odinga political orphans must confront. Energy Minister Opiyo Wandayi says it’s either President William Ruto for him and his supporters or nothing in 2027. Party Secretary General Edwin Sifuna will resign if the Orange party backs Ruto’s re-election. Finance Minister John Mbadi, on the other hand, doesn’t spare any opportunity to remind party faithful who their genuine friends are. We tried Jomo Kenyatta with “No Kenyatta, No Uhuru.” We declared Kibaki Tosha with disastrous results five years later. We shook Uhuru’s hands but all we got was “be patient, you have the deep state.” Mbadi, former ODM party chairman, prides himself as the first ODM minister for finance - read that as the only Luo to ever occupy the Treasury. The Crocodile doesn’t shy away from saying that the reptile can only go for presidency in 2032! As for the new generation, acting party leader Oburu Odinga bravely told the nation after his brother’s death that the Orange Democratic Movement party will not accept any position other than that of the deputy president if it enters into any pre-election agreement, a position many saw Governor Gladys Wanga cheerleading. And then enters senior counsel and Siaya County Governor James Orengo. The veteran of opposition politics who once served as lands minister pleaded with compatriots not to allow the Orange party to be swallowed. Nyatieng, as he is fondly admired, outlined the history of political party swallowing, starting with what the old KANU did to KADU and APP in the early 1960s. He reminded ODM of the Jubilee Party and the story of TNA. Orengo painted a gloomy picture of a dangerous dictator taking the country back to the dark days of Nyayo House era under Inspector Opiyo Johnny. For those old enough to remember, nobody wants to revisit the Nyayo House basement or Nyati House, Orengo warned. But Minister Hassan Joho is ready to expel ODM members who are trying to divide the party in order to strengthen and unite the party. How can one strengthen the party by expelling members with different opinions? Joho and other ODM experts in the broad-based government should know that a political party’s strength is in its diversity. Ask Raila Amolo Odinga. And as if running from his shadows, Babu Owino, the MP for Embakasi East, is worried about securing the ODM party ticket for Nairobi County governor. Babu Owino is all but out of the party despite the acting party leader appealing for his “vibrant energy and determination” of the youth. With Gov Johnson Sakaja, MP George Aladwa and Senator Edwin Sifuna each making calculations for Nairobi, the math may not be adding up for Babu Owino, even with all his actuarial skills and Oburu’s assurance of getting the ticket “if” he wins and is a member of the party. Babu Owino is on record that he doesn’t want Ruto in the Orange party. He believes that the ODM party founding member will borrow a leaf from Raila’s playbook, adding that the president is out to destroy ODM from within But President Ruto, a life member of ODM, said he wants a stronger party. He told mourners during Raila Odinga’s burial at Kango Ka Jaramogo on October 19 that ODM, read that to mean Pentagon member number 5, will either form the government or be part of the government. My government. Ruto had accepted an invitation from Raila to join other ODM founding members during the party’s 20th anniversary celebrations in Mombasa. The original Pentagon members included the late Joe Nyaga from Eastern, Najib Balala from Coast, the late Raila Odinga from Nairobi and Nyanza, Musalia Mudavadi from Western, and William Ruto from Rift Valley. Ruto vowed not to let Raila Odinga’s party to be scattered into opposition. So, where is ODM going? Oburu has repeatedly said that Raila left Luos united in the broad-based government. Under Raila’s initiative, he directed ODM to work with President Ruto up to 2027. The reality is that working with Ruto until 2027 would leave ODM with little to no time to present any formidable candidate other than one of its founders, President Ruto. For those ODMers not yet ready to support the party’s founding member for the presidency, it’s not too late to start early. Either join former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s outfit or the other ODM wanna be former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who had turned down an invitation from Raila to join ODM party’s 20th anniversary. Already Gachagua has shared out positions, including 50 percent for the Mountain shareholders. Kalonzo, on the other hand, is undecided whether he wants to be Baba or Baba mdogo. But as Raila would say, even a cow’s tail is still meat. For ODM leaders, the talk of party unity in the 2027 elections is as elusive as Raila’s five attempts at winning the presidency. - Ja New World