Moses Wetang'ula, the Speaker of the National Assembly, has cautioned ODM leaders against defying the Kenya Kwanza government, claiming that doing so would be tantamount to disobeying party leader Raila Odinga.
Wetang’ula spoke on Sunday, August 10, during a Sunday service at Harvest Center Fellowship Church in Port Victoria, Budalang’i, where he urged ODM to stand behind President William Ruto ahead of the August polls.
According to the speaker, Raila’s public endorsement of the president effectively meant ODM had little room to waver in their political affiliations.
Wetang’ula thus urged ODM leaders to embrace the growing political cooperation between President Ruto and Raila, as he referenced Budalangi Member of Parliament Raphael Wanjala's recent change in tune towards the government.
“ODM leaders who have openly opposed President Ruto’s re-election campaigns or remained undecided, like Raphael Wanjala, should now join the second-term bandwagon,” Wetang’ula said.
“Leaders who have resisted or stayed undecided, like Hon Raphael Wanjala, should now join the second-term bandwagon,” said Wetang’ula, emphasising that Raila’s position leaves little room for ambiguity within ODM ranks.
The speaker further praised Raila's legacy, claiming the ODM party leader had a tendency to put the country's interest first, while citing Raila's decision to team up with the late former President Mwai Kibaki in the wake of the 2007 post-election unrest.
Area MP Wanjala, who was also present at the event, welcomed Raila's endorsement of Ruto, saying ODM members had been provided a political cushion from the two leaders' pact.
“Some of us avoided appearing alongside the President even during his visits to the region, just to avoid internal party tensions. Raila’s position has lifted that pressure,” Wanjala admitted.
Wetang’ula’s comments came in the back of a spate of public spats between leaders allied to ODM. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has arguably been the most vocal against the Kenya Kwanza government, as he recently courted controversy when he claimed ODM was 'confused' and he was unsure of the party's political direction.
Sifuna's comments have since sparked a political storm, with Nyaribari Chache MP Zaheer Jhanda calling for the Senator's expulsion from the party.
Meanwhile, Sifuna, despite subtly backing down on his initial comments on ODM confusion, was adamant that he was willing to step away from the party if it backed Ruto for a second term.
