ODM Secretary General Ababu Namwamba and a number of CORD lawmakers on Thursday went against a directive issued by their leaders, stirring speculations over emerging discord in the Opposition.
Namwamba together with MPs Manson Nyamweya (South Mugirango, ODM) Olago Oluoch (Kisumu West, Ford Kenya) and Deputy Minority Whip Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini, Ford Kenya) went ahead to sit in a session the joint Justice and Legal Affairs and CIOC committee meeting.
On Tuesday, the Opposition led by Principal Raila Odinga asked its lawmakers to refrain from participating in two parliamentary processes in a bid to resolve the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) stalemate.
“It is clear we support the dialogue within the context of Parliament,” Namwamba said.
The Secretary General's commitment to his party has lately been put under scrutiny by the public after he conspicuously missed in the anti-IEBC protests organised by his coalition.
Namwamba came out to explain that he had taken a paternity leave to take care of his wife and their new-born baby.
However, in a television interview, the once fierce fighter of the ODM party alluded that he was a principled man who was not subject to influence from any quarters.
"No one forces Ababu to do that which he does not desire to do...I also don't know how to pretend. I say what I mean and mean what I say."
"I do that which my conscience is very clear about," Mr Namwamba emphatically stated.
Nonetheless, the Budalangi Member of Parliament maintains that he is still strong in ODM adding that those thinking otherwise were overplaying their concerns.
