- Ababu Namwamba made a surprise appearance at the Special Meeting of Delegates of the Orange Democratic Movement, the first time since the death of Raila Odinga
- He urged the party to remain committed to its original mission of democratic social reform
- Ababu called on ODM leaders to strengthen their closeness to the authorities instead of returning to opposition politics
Former secretary general of the Orange Democratic Movement, Ababu Namwambamade a surprise appearance at the Special Delegates Meeting (SDC) of the party on Friday, March 27.
Source: Facebook
Members of the party met at Jamhuri Grounds in the first meeting since the death of Raila Odingathe founder and long-time leader of ODM.
Ababu, who has taken a break from direct politics, said he was invited to the SDC by the ODM leadership.
He recalled the expectations that ODM had when he was secretary general.
How did Ababu Namwamba advise ODM?
According to him, the Orange party was founded with the intention of bringing reforms based on social democracy, advising the current leaders to direct the activities of the party to that mission.
He also congratulated Siaya senator Oburu Oginga for being approved as the party’s full leader.
“Leader of the party, I congratulate you, because today you are taking full power within this party. Congratulations to all those confirmed in positions. I want to thank you for inviting me here today. I am happy to be here among my fellow members. Twenty years ago we started the journey to find power. It is a long time, and we wanted to get power to make Kenya better based on the values of social democracy of this party,” he said.
Ababu noted that ODM’s 20-year journey has had many challenges, urging leaders and members not to tire in pursuing the goals that the party was created to achieve.
He urged them to stick to the current trend of agreement with the current government, warning against returning to opposition.
“We have gone far, we have protested, we have taken strong positions. I remember swearing in parliament to be loyal to the late Raila Odinga. When you approach power, you strengthen, develop, protect, you do not look back. Today this party is close to power, and I pray that we move forward and strengthen that position,” he said.
Ababu was the second general secretary of ODM and was succeeded by Edwin Sifunawho is the current senator of Nairobi.
In other news, delegates approved the removal of Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi from his position as deputy leader of the party.
They were asked to confirm the decision made by the National Leadership Council last November to address vacancies in key party positions.
The meeting refused to confirm Osotsi as the party’s deputy leader. His matter was referred to the National Executive Committee, which will discuss and record the changes as part of ODM’s official leadership structure.
Senator Oburu Oginga was officially confirmed as the leader of the party, while governors Simba Arati of Kisii and Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir of Mombasa were confirmed as deputy leaders of the party.
The announcement was made by the Governor of Homa Bay Gladys Wangawho is also the national chairman of ODM.
The resolution described the appointment in various positions, including the national deputy chairmen, the national secretary of mobilization, and the secretary of political affairs.
Source: Twitter
Will Edwin Sifuna survive against Oburu’s pressure?
At the same time, the party announced that it will review the position of the embattled general secretary Edwin Sifuna following the decision of the Political Party Disputes Court to annul his removal.
Speaking at the SDC, ODM’s acting general secretary Catherine Omanyo stressed that the party’s internal bodies will comply with the court’s order, which requires the party to first use its internal systems before finalizing the removal of Sifuna.
He emphasized that all members, regardless of their rank, should follow the legitimate decisions of the party bodies, pointing out that disciplinary measures could be taken against the Nairobi senator.
Meanwhile, Edwin Sifuna and Godfrey Osotsi, who are on the side opposing the party leader, held a parallel meeting at Ufungano House.
There, they challenged the legitimacy of the leadership of Oburu Oginga, saying that he was not elected by the delegates, while the group led by Oburu continued with the Special Meeting of the Delegates.
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