A splinter group within ODM has emerged in what could signal a widening rift that now threatens the Orange party in Kakamega.
The faction, comprising eight ODM lawmakers, held a homecoming for Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera after the disputed Kakamega county delegates elections.
Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa was declared ODM county chairman after party primaries, but Nabwera, who was contesting the seat, protested the outcome.
Under the name G8, the group—which insists they are solidly behind ODM and have resolved to support President William Ruto’s re-election—has the backing of Co-operatives CS Wycliffe Oparanya, who declared that no elections were held in Kakamega.
They include Nabwera, Titus Khamala (Lurambi), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Peter Nabulindo (Matungu), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo) and Kakamega Woman rep Elsie Muhanda.
The camp has also roped in Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana, who was elected on the defunct ANC ticket.
Those supporting Barasa are Butere’s Tindi Mwale, Innocent Mugabe (Likuyani) and Johnson Naicca (Mumias West).
During the homecoming event at St Immaculate Heart Secondary School, speeches by the leaders were a blend of attacks on the party leadership and Barasa.
Shinali said the G8 will go to Orange House to demand for Nabwera’s certificate of election as county chairman.
“We’re at a point where Kakamega county must regain its lost glory,” he added.
The group also threw their weight behind Oparanya, saying he is their pointman in government.
Reiterating their position, Aseka said the G8 recognises Nabwera and not Barasa as chairman and that the Co-operatives CS was shortchanged by the Azimio la Umoja coalition.
Azimio, he said, promised to hand Oparanya the finance docket after it won the 2022 general election but reneged when ODM teamed up with UDA in the broad-based government.
“We’re tired of being organised by outsiders who use our back to rise to power and dump us. We’re saying it's time to have our own and we have Oparanya,” Aseka said.
Khamala expressed similar sentiments.
“We are united behind Oparanya to fight for our development. We’re tired of entering governments through the window and want to be on the table,” he said.
“Baba [Raila Odinga], we’re just fighting in the kitchen, don’t worry. You just keep off our fights. This is sibling rivalry,” he added.
Wangwe asked leaders from other regions who want inroads into Western to come through Oparanya.
The Co-operatives CS urged the MPs to stick together until 2027.
Oparanya, who was among the founders of ODM, said the situation in the Kakamega branch must be addressed or else will cause major divisions.
“I have been in the party for 20 years now and I have never seen a situation where someone has been elected. We normally sit down and decide who takes what seat, when the party tried election of its national officials at Kasarani you saw what happened, some people want to divide us in Kakamega,” he said.
Oparanya took a swipe at the Kakamega governor’s leadership, saying the MPs rebellion against Barasa was not his doing.
“If Barasa doesn’t know how to build a team, that’s his problem and he should remove my name from his mouth because I left county politics,” he said, noting that he only relinquished his party leadership position after being named CS, but remains a member.
“I want to give Barasa free advice: whoever told you that when you’re ODM chairman you become governor cheated you,” Oparanya said.
“If you’re a leader, you cannot compete against your voters. You must know the needs of your people and be able to make sacrifices,” he added.
The CS also urged residents of Western to take up coffee farming to better their economy, saying the culture of handouts will end in three years if the region embraces growing the crop.
But Barasa scoffed at his critics, terming the homecoming event as drama.
He said Raila recognises him as the county chairman in Kakamega and accused Oparanya of using the G8 to destabilise ODM in the county instead of concentrating on his national duties.
Barasa now wants President William Ruto and the party leader to restrain Oparanya from engaging in politics.
“I want to tell the President and ODM leader Raila, you must call Oparanya to order. We know that he’s using the MPs to achieve his personal gains,” he claimed.
Barasa said Oparanya was supposed to use his position as CS to unify not only those in the county, but the entire Western region, but should now be relieved of his duties “because he has become a burden to Kakamega”.
