I'm not warming up to ODM, says Magara

Former assistant minister Omingo Magara has denied that he is warming up to ODM, the party he ditched just before a by-election in South Mugirango constituency.

He also dismissed reports in the media that he and Prime Minister Raila Odinga had buried the hatchet and pledged to work together.

Mr Magara, who has been a fierce critic of Mr Odinga, said that he firmly rooted in the People’s Democratic Party.

“What I did is just welcome the PM to our area which is the noble thing to do when you have guests,” Mr Magara said just before he set out on a campaign trail for the PNU candidate in Makadara Dick Wathika Saturday.

He added that his relationship with ODM was “dead and buried”. A tough-talking Magara said that the Orange party was not accommodative to anyone who had a different view from its leadership.

“I therefore will not engage with ODM, which has turned out to be a party of cannibalism. We in PDP are working with PNU, which we have found to be honest and sincere,” said Mr Magara.

He particularly noted that while ODM had denied him a direct ticket for the by-election, it has gone ahead to give express candidature to those seeking the seats in Juja, Makadara and Starehe.

He added that the meeting with the PM was “coincidental” and he was not out to seek “forgiveness” since he had not made any mistake.

Mr Magara has publicly criticised the PM and allied himself to the Higher Education minister William Ruto.

The former legislator and the PM met during a funeral for South Mugirango ODM aspirant Ibrahim Ochoi.

The High Court nullified Mr Magara’s election at the height of his animosity with the PM. He then decamped to the little-known PDP in a bid to reclaim the seat, but was trounced by Mr Manson Nyamweya of Ford People.

Mr Ochoi was ODM’s candidate in the by-election and came third.