ODM punishes rebellious MCAs by locking them out of plum jobs
A section of Kisumu MCAs involved in an argument during the election of the Kisumu County Assembly Speaker on September 20, 2022. Former Speaker Elisha Jack Oraro was re-elected after winning by 25-22.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has moved to discipline rebellious members of the Kisumu County Assembly by denying them senior positions in the House.
Instead, the party has rewarded loyalists who agreed to meet with party leader Raila Odinga ahead of the Speaker’s election, which was won by Elisha Jack Oraro.
Speaker Oraro on Tuesday afternoon notified the House about the party’s choices of MCAs to fill positions that will be critical in running the affairs of the assembly.
He said he had acted under instructions that he received from ODM on September 8.
The lawmakers are Kennedy Ooko Ouma (Ahero ward, majority leader), Patrick Lumumba Owade (South East Nyakach, deputy majority leader) Seth Ochieng Kanga (Market/Milimani, majority whip) and Jenipher Akeyo Obonyo (South West Kisumu, deputy majority whip).
The four played a critical role in whipping more than 25 MCAs to vote for Mr Oraro in a closely contested race.
Minority party
Other loyal ODM ward reps who heeded the party’s call to stand by Mr Oraro were nominated as members of the Speaker’s panel and their names forwarded to the House Business Committee for consideration.
The panellists are Seth Okumu (East Seme), Emily Oginga (Mr Odinga’s stepsister) and Caren Odhiambo (Kaloleni/Shaurimoyo).
Mr Kennedy Ouko (West Kisumu) and his nominated counterpart Mickey Awuor Ochieng will represent the assembly at the County Assemblies Forum, while George Abaja Othuthu (West Seme) and Pamela Oyoo (Migosi) were nominated as members of the County Assembly Service Board.
Although the assembly recognises Bill Oliver as an independent legislator, he was not offered the minority leader slot as he was not elected under a minority party as defined by the assembly standing orders and the Registrar of Political Parties.
Speaker Oraro determined that “there is no minority party in the Kisumu County Assembly as currently constituted since there is no other party represented in the house other than ODM”.
Mr Oraro spoke when the third assembly opened after a short break that allowed members to attend an induction workshop.
In the standing orders, ‘county assembly party’ means a party or a coalition of parties consisting of not less than five percent of the membership of the House.
It remains to be seen whether the party will continue to de-whip the 23 elected and nominated MCAs who on September 19 boycotted a meeting attended by Mr Odinga.
In a September 8 letter, ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna notified assembly Clerk Owen Ojuok that the party preferred Mr Oraro for Speaker.
Mr Oraro was facing stiff competition from former majority leader Samuel Ong’ow, with the latter getting support from 23 MCAs and the former 24.
The Kisumu assembly has 47 MCAs – 35 elected and 12 nominated.
But in the highest level of defiance so far to Mr Odinga, only 24 elected MCAs attended the dinner meeting. Those allied to Mr Ong'ow skipped it, the result of intense lobbying that could have embarrassed Mr Odinga had MCAs from his Kisumu backyard rejected his candidate and elected someone else.
The next frontier in this saga is whether the ‘rebels’ will get seats on influential committees.
