By Anderson Ojwang
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has stated that it will field candidates in all vacant seats, a move that may go against its partner, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), which wants its strongholds zoned.
Similarly, ODM National Chairperson Gladys Wanga has said the party will demand a 50-50 share in the coalition arrangement with President William Ruto’s UDA.
Wanga, speaking in Migori, said they will demand the post of deputy president and an equal number of Cabinet slots and other government appointments.
“We have been mandated to enter into talks with UDA. If they take the presidency, we take the deputy president post. In the Cabinet slots, we share 10-10 each so that we can distribute them among our support bases,” she said.
But as Wanga was placing ODM’s demands, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar was clarifying to party members and prospective aspirants across the country that they would be free to vie anywhere.
“Just like the deputy party leader has said, there is no zoning and everyone will have to fight for themselves to win the seats.
Let those with three votes bring them; those with three hundred votes, let them bring them. You do not need to panic. Why should you be scared if this is your forte?
Bring your votes and we bring our votes so that President Ruto rides to victory. We have no problem with anyone. We have a relationship with ODM, and we support that faction of ODM that wants to unite Kenyans.
We do not support that wing of ODM being financed by Uhuru Kenyatta,” he said.
The ODM faction led by party leader Dr Oburu Oginga has been pushing for zoning in the scheduled negotiation talks with President Ruto.
Molo MP Kimani Kuria recently warned political parties against championing zoning, noting that such a practice is likely to interfere with the democratic rights of the electorate, as it promotes regional- and ethnic-based parties that are weak and lack clear manifestos.
Kuria said the proposal by ODM as part of a pre-coalition agreement would deny Kenyans the right to elect the right leaders and deprive them of the ability to demand development, as leaders would depend on party endorsement to win elections.
“As much as we welcome the views of our brothers in ODM and other like-minded parties, personally I am against this idea of zoning for a number of reasons. Zoning is the root cause of tribalism and lack of democracy in some regions of this country,” MP Kuria noted.
Homa Bay MP Opondo Kaluma said one of the conditions in a pre-election coalition agreement with UDA would be zoning, and that it is non-negotiable.
“We must ensure that our bases and strongholds are ring-fenced and left for the ODM party, and zoning is going to occur. Without that, we will have no arrangement,” he said.
The declaration by UDA on zoning is likely to trigger backlash from the ODM faction aligned to Oburu, which may feel disadvantaged in the emerging political dispensation in the post–Raila Amolo Odinga era.
For decades, ODM has awarded direct tickets to preferred candidates, which has negated healthy competition in its strongholds. With the demise of Raila and a more level playing field, ODM now appears disadvantaged and may lose several seats.
Currently, ODM is divided into two factions: the Dr Oburu faction under “Linda Ground” and the Secretary General Edwin Sifuna faction under “Linda Mwananchi.”
The two factions have, in the last two weeks, held parallel rallies. This weekend, Linda Ground will be in Siaya while Linda Mwananchi will be in Kakamega.
Wanga accused Sifuna of showing disrespect to Oburu and going against decisions made by party organs.
The Linda Mwananchi faction is opposed to pre-election coalition talks with President Ruto and wants ODM to field a presidential candidate in the 2027 General Election.
Recently, the ODM National Governing Council sacked Sifuna and replaced him with Busia Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal overturned the sacking and gave Sifuna a reprieve, with Dr Oburu saying Sifuna was the court-recognized party secretary general while Omanyo remained the party secretary general.
The Kakamega Linda Mwananchi tour has sparked a chain of political reactions, with President Ruto holding a consultative meeting with legislators from the county, while his aide Faruk Kibet accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta of financing the group.
Speaking in Malava during campaigns for the UDA candidate in the Kabras West Ward by-election, Faruk said Uhuru was financing the group and facilitating the Kakamega meeting.
“Uhuru Kenyatta anatoa pesa ya kuitisha mkutano ambaye sio halali. Nyinyi watu wa Western Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta alikuja hapa? (Uhuru Kenyatta is financing meetings which are illegal. You people of Western Kenya, did Uhuru Kenyatta come to this region?)” he quipped.
With the emerging demands, unfolding political realignments, and shifting scenarios in the country, Oburu’s faction may soon find itself sliding away from the political chessboard.