ODM set to issue fresh ultimatums to Ruto at Nairobi rally as coalition tensions escalate
The party’s top officials are angered by calls for them to drop their demands for a formal agreement with Ruto before committing their support to his re-election bid, particularly in ODM strongholds across the country, including Nyanza.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party is expected to issue fresh ultimatums to President William Ruto during a mega rally in Nairobi this Saturday, seeking assurances in exchange for backing his re-election bid amid political turbulence threatening the party’s dominance in its traditional strongholds.
Party officials and leaders, according to sources, will demand that Ruto distance himself from leaders from the Nyanza region whom they accuse of “sabotaging” his relationship with ODM.
The party’s top officials are angered by calls for them to drop their demands for a formal agreement with Ruto before committing their support to his re-election bid, particularly in ODM strongholds across the country, including Nyanza.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo sparked a political storm over the weekend after cautioning political leaders against making aggressive demands for conditional pre-election coalition agreements.
Omollo said political parties should not force President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to sign coalition agreements with conditions. Instead, he urged voters to assess the President based on his development record and support him unconditionally.
“The President has worked for the people, and he will continue to deliver. We must not put conditions on him. He has delivered for the whole country without bias,” Omollo said.
Latest Stories
An ODM insider told The Eastleigh Voice that the push for the party to abandon its conditions for supporting Ruto had angered its leadership. Consultations with party leader Oburu Oginga are expected to result in fresh ultimatums that could have significant political consequences.
“On Saturday, during our mega rally in Nairobi, we will make demands to ensure that our relationship with our broad-based partners is respectful because there is a clear lack of respect for our leaders, and that is unacceptable,” the source said.
It is understood that Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi met Oburu on Wednesday to discuss the matter, which has heightened tensions within the broad-based government arrangement.
ODM leaders are also reportedly planning to demand, during Saturday’s rally at Jacaranda Grounds, that certain government officials be barred from engaging in politics in regions considered the party’s strongholds.
Omollo’s remarks come amid demands by ODM leaders for a formal 50-50 power-sharing arrangement with UDA. Senior party officials have also insisted that the Deputy President’s position be reserved for ODM.
PS Raymond Omollo and other leaders during the fundraiser for 331 church choirs from across Nyamira County. (Photo: MOI)Some ODM leaders have also been pushing for political zoning to secure all elective seats for the party in its strongholds. Omollo, however, maintains that the Lake Region should support President Ruto unconditionally.
He noted that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga had often been compelled to sign agreements during his presidential campaigns, arguing that the same practice should not be imposed on Ruto.
“It would be shameful if the Luo community gave conditions to the President; his re-election should be unconditional,” Omollo said.
On Wednesday, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga, a sibling of Oburu and the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, strongly criticised those opposing formal agreements between ODM and UDA.
“A statement has been attributed to Interior PS Raymond Omollo claiming that the Luo community simply has to trust and work with UDA, without any agreements between the two. I find this statement curious, and its timing worrying,” Ruth said in a statement.
She objected to attempts to associate ODM exclusively with the Luo community, arguing that the party has a national presence and should not be reduced to a single community.
“Let it be made clear that the ODM Party is a national political party with representation across the counties. Its strongholds include Western, Coast and Turkana, among others; Nyanza is only one of them. Even within Nyanza, we have both Luo Nyanza and Kisii Nyanza. Any attempt to reduce ODM to a Luo party is therefore troubling, and one reads bad faith into it,” she said.
The latest developments present a fresh challenge to President Ruto’s efforts to consolidate support across the country, particularly in opposition strongholds, following an apparent loss of backing in the Mt Kenya region.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.