By Manuel Odeny
A stormy meeting between ODM leader Raila Odinga and party leaders from Gusii region saw Kisii governor elevation as the party’s Deputy Leader, a powerful position.
On August 6 in meeting between Raila and the leaders in a Nairobi hotel saw him pick his former aide Simba Arati to reclaim the Kisii and Nyamira counties in his Nyanza backyard.
Five days before the meeting, angry ODM leaders from the two counties met to kick off the storm after they were locked out both in party and cabinet secretary appointment in government.
Raila had to appoint Arati in a bid to calm the storms.
Arati and his Mombasa counterpart Abdulswamad Nassir, including Vihiga senator Geoffrey Osotsi will pick the deputy party leader positions left by Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya who took up cabinet slots.
Gusii leaders “first raised concerns with the distribution of the minority leadership positions in the National Assembly which were largely taken up by MPs from Luo Nyanza,” the Star newspaper reported.
The national daily also reported that Raila was hard to explain why ODM leaders from Gusii also failed to get any cabinet slot.
“The positions of (CS) are shared fairly to ensure regional balance without leaving any community out,” Raila reportedly told the politicians.
Bomachoge Borabu’s Obadiah Barongo complained that they have been placed in only a few committees while their friends from other ODM support bases are in more than two panels.
Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi also wanted to pipe out from the Minority leadership position taken by Suna East’s Junet Mohamed.
Days later, Arati was elected the deputy party leader a position which the ODM party will try and use to prevent inroads by President William Ruto’s UDA in the area ahead of next polls.
Ruto appointed Julius Ogamba to take over from Ezekiel Machogu in the education docket, a UDA stalwart who deputize Machogu in the last general election in Kisii UDA governor ticket.
Arati will now task to rally ODM National Treasurer Timothy Bosire and elected leaders Anthony Kibagendi(Kitutu Chache South), Okong’o Omogeni(Nyamira Senator), Cleve Gisairo(Kitutu Masaba), Obadiah Barongo(Bomachoge Borabu), Patrick Osero(Borabu) and nominate MP Irere Mayaka.
Others are Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka and Nyaribari Masaba MP Daniel Manduku who will push the party agenda in Kisii.
