ODM has got the mask off! Watermelon members chucked

ODM party has come out to give hard truth to those members who missed the Raila’s swearing in ceremony early last year. It was a litmus test for the party.

ODM wants other Nasa affiliates to keep off the Embakasi South MP by-election and instead back its candidate Irshad Sumra.

The IEBC has announced the by-elections for Embakasi South and Ugenya constituencies will be conducted on April 5.

Secretary general Edwin Sifuna said the party will give the former MP direct nomination. It would “humiliate” any Nasa affiliate candidate, he said.

Sifuna said they made the decision to hand Sumra a direct nomination after former Nairobi deputy speaker Ken Ngondi withdrew from the race in favour of Sumra.

“I did not have bad intentions when I declared my candidature. I had intentions for friendly fire. The party leadership advised me. I’m obedient,” Ngondi said.

Raila’s foot soldiers have also said Nasa, comprising ODM, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper, Senator Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya and Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC, died a year ago.

Sifuna said Nasa died immediately after Raila’s mock swearing-in as the People’s President on January 30 last year. Other coalition co-principals skipped the event.

“I was the first to declare Nasa’s death. When a thief comes to your house thinking you are four men in the house and find others are hiding under the bed, are those people to walk around with?” Sifuna asked.

The remarks and apparent political bullying by Raila’s lieutenants risks to further disintegrate the once formidable alliance.

Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang’ said, “This by-election is not about Sumra. It’s about those who took oath in Uhuru Park and the handshake.”

Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang', Makadara MP George Aladwa, former Embakasi South MP Ishrad Sumra and ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna at Cornerstone Church in Kwa Reuben, Embakasi on January 13, 2018. /EZEKIEL AMING'A

“I want to address my senior Kalonzo. If you see there is an iota of something we can do together please don’t field a candidate. If you field a candidate here, we will trounce you.” The leaders spoke at Christ the Cornerstone Church in Mukuru Kwa Reuben slum

Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju yesterday said the party’s National Executive Committee will meet this week to decide whether to field a candidate.

The Supreme Court nullified the election of Wiper Party’s Julius Mawathe as Embakasi South MP. The court nullified the election on December 21 last year on grounds there was no evidence to support the results the IEBC used to declare Mawathe winner.

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