Fri, 8 Feb 2008 05:41:40


By Leo Odera Omolo

AN arrangement made by the Rongo ODM party branch to nominate four party staunch supporters to the local civic bodies located within the constituency has run into big trouble.

Rongo district has two Town Councils and the County Council. ODM supported all the civic seats in the town civic bodies during December 27th general election. The ODM therefore is slated to nominate at least six nominated councillors with each of the three civic bodies getting two.

A meeting called by the ODM delegates earlier this week to deliberate over this matter and to recommend the names of loyal party supporters ended up in chaos. A party activist who called the meeting of delegates in Rongo Town was beaten savagedly by hired political goons.

The trouble was caused by claims and speculations to the effect that the MP for the area, Hon Dalmas Otieno, had recommended some names which should be forwarded to the ODM headquarters for nomination.

The recommended names consist of people whose roles in the ODM are said to have been dubious. They included that of a wealthy business tycoon in Rongo Town who is alleged to have been a supporter of the little known SPARK party which is headed by former Rangwe MP and as such had played no role in promoting the activities of ODM in Rongo.

Another man whose name has been forwarded to be nominated by the party for a seat in the Awendo Town Council is said to be a resident of Rangwe Constituency who lives in a rented house in Awendo Town, but had taken no part in promotion of ODM activities in the area.

An ODM Rongo branch delegates meeting called last Tuesday ended in total dismay and chaos resulting in the convener being savegedly beaten up by hired political goons.

Mr. Philip Odero Makabang’o who had contested the Rongo parliamentary seat, but lost in the ODM preliminary and who thereafter supported the winner Dalmas Otieno was attacked by and assaulted. He sustained serious bodily injuries. Makabang’o has since made a report to the Rongo Police Station.

Sources in Rongo says that the ODM chairman in the constituency Mr. Odera Awene is allegedly working in collaboration with one of the parliamentary losers Jared Odhiambo Ng’ura and is the source of the split and division in the branch.

The area MP could not be reached. Frantic efforts made by this reporter to call Dalmas Otieno through his cell phone were not successful as the MP's phone is permanently switched off. At times, the MP is being accused of not picking up phones call from friends and supporters immediately after warming the seat in a hotly contested fight with the immediate former MP George Mbogoh Ochilo Ayacko.

ODM supporters have planned a public but peaceful demonstration in Rongo to protest the inclusion in the nomination list of the former SPARK supporter who had contributed nothing in kind toward ODM’s election successes.

Tensions are high and volatile. Mr. Makabango alleged that one of his assailants, a Mr. Ken, is known to be a security detail of Dalmas Otieno . The trouble started when about 60 delegates from Awendo and Rongo divisions had just converged in Rongo town to discuss the party nomination issue. Hell soon broke loose.

The delegates want the names submitted for nomination withdrawn so that they can be replaced by genuine party supporters and not handpicked persons from other parties or those who had worked for the downfall of ODM in one way or the other.