Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s recent prescription of a ‘suit’ model of voting, as well as a push to have his elder brother Oburu Oginga succeed James Orengo as the Siaya senator, negates one of the key pillars of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM): Upholding the rule of the law and striving to end impunity in the country.
It will be a big shame if the former Prime Minister’s Christmas statement is anything to go by.
It does not mean that Dr Oginga or any other Odinga cannot or should not hold public office if and when they qualify to. However, if done through coercion and imposition, the negative effects will be greater than imagined.
ODM being one of the few parties in Africa that are pro-democracy, the party chief’s handlers must guide him on what to say and when to say, more so when it comes to his family, to avoid being termed as a representative of an oligarch state.
Dr Oginga must be on the same level playing field with other senatorial aspirants from ODM — including J. K. Okinda, Agogo Moses, Tony Yogo and Peter Muhula, who are set for the party primaries.
In the 2013 gubernatorial race, William Oduol, touted as the “darling of the electorate” by the late Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, was denied the opportunity due to such reckless utterances. Siaya would see an unusually low voter turnout in the elections.
In the 2017 elections, Ugenya Constituency — for which Senior Counsel Orengo was the MP before he became a senator — was also put on trial by the six-piece bait. However, and true to their will, the Ugenya electorate were not ready to swallow it.
Then-MP David Ochieng, who had decamped and started a party, Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG), contest in court ODM’s victory. A year later, Mr Ochieng won the case and is the current MP.
With these two casing points and many others that are documented, ODM must give voters the right to choose whoever they want to lead them.
Raila’s statement seen as drumming up support for his brother is uncalled-for and polarising, more so when he needs Siaya County, his home turf, to fully rally behind him in his presidential bid.
With the current politics, where numbers matter most, the party’s leaders must be alive to the fact that there will be different parties that will want to support Mr Raila’s bid.
If not given room to thrive and the electorate given an opportunity to choose their preferred candidates, the ripple effects will be hard to control.
ODM cannot afford to have a favourite in any position in Siaya as that will only leave the party with egg on the face.
Let the doyen of African politics understand that democracy requires responsible citizens who can make sound decisions about their future and can act on them. Acting differently in Siaya or any other stronghold begs the question: Is democracy a matter of choice or is it a matter of rights? BY DAILY NATION