For more than two decades, Kenya’s largest political party – by membership, ethnic diversity and region – has managed to keep internal strife under the leash and worn a holier than thou halo. That was until the party’s convention in Kakamga, western Kenya, on Saturday when ethnic tensions boiled over as two biggest communities – the Luhyia and Luo – traded allegations.

The tensions left no doubt the party may be terminally ill.

For months since party leader and losing presidential in the 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022 presidential elections, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ceded ground to his bitter rival Presidential William Ruto, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna has come under sustained searing attacks on account of his ethnicity – Luhyia. Kenya’s best performing legislator for the past five years, Westlands MP Timothy Wanyonyi Wetang’ula was stood over from running for Nairobi City County governorship on account of his ethnicity – Luhyia

Notably, Sifuna skipped the Kakamega parley to underline his displeasure with a hostile party leadership that included Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga, Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o, former party chairman John Mbadi and Director of Elections Mohammed Junet.

Since Raila Odinga endorsed President Ruto’s government and accepted to vie for African Union Commission chairmanship, Nairobi Senator Sifuna has emerged as the lone voice in the party that articulates ODM policy agenda, as the cabal that hangs on Raila’s coat-tail acclimatises to pork barrel politics that climaxed in John Mbadi, former party whip Opiyo Wandayi and former party deputy party leaders Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya being appointed cabinet ministers in what is projected as “broad-based” government.

Sifuna, though, is not the first Luhyia – believed to be the largest ethnic community in Kenya – to be in the firing line of the Luo, which is the fourth largest community behind the Kikuyu and Kalenjin on the basis of the controversial 2019 national census results. Former ODM secretary for political ideology Wafula Buke was hounded out of the party by chief executive officer Oduor Ong’wen.

Against this backdrop, the convention was poised to be one of rabid verbal exchange with the Luhyia raising strong concerns over auxiliary roles they are reduced to in the party as the more influential and what is considered lucrative one reserved for Luo.

During the party’s meeting in Kakamega, the long-suppressed ethnic tensions boiled over as Luhyias accused Luos of marginalising them and utter disrespect despite the community contributing immensely to Raila Odinga’s vote basket in four successive presidential elections he failed to win. Instead of harmony, dissatisfaction and grumbling took centre-stage as the party prepares to celebrate 20 years since formation in the wake of the 2005 constitution referendum outcome.

In an ominous signal of what lay afoot and imminent bitter fallout, speeches took on an ethnic tone, with the Luo and Luhyia bragging about the value and the vote numbers they bring to the party. MPs and other leader from Raila’s backyard in Nyanza region were hard put to explain how they failed to mobilise more than 300,000 registered voters to turn up and vote for Raila.

In 2022 presidential poll, Raila lost to President William Ruto marginally by some 63,000 votes, according to poll agency – the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) final tallies.

The secretariat at the party headquarters in Nairobi also came under fire following massive incidents of election malpractices and runaway corruption. They accused the secretariat of being behind bribery and short-changing of popular leaders, which they said cost the party the 2022 general election. In the aftermath of the 2013 and 2017 presidential election results, similar concerns were raised.

For many years, the secretariat and party leader Raila Odinga have been accused of soliciting money from prospective candidates and handing nomination to the highest “bidders.” The party has repeatedly denied the allegation that can no longer be swept under the carpet given its impact on party fortunes in elections. Leaders from Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia and Trans Nzoia were forthright in their accusation of their counterparts from Nyanza of using and dumping them.

Historically, Luhyias and Luos have complained of marginalisation by successive regimes in Kenya despite their numerical strength and their reputation as two of the most highly educated demographics in Kenya – by extension East Africa. The two communities, though, have had their own beefs between them as is exemplified by an incident in March 1963 during political rallies in Kitale in western Kenya and Kamukunji in Nairobi. At the two rallies, Tom Mboya, a Suba – who identified himself as Luo – angered Luhyias led by Masinde Muliro and Martin Shikuku after he described the community as a “ladder the Luo will use to ascend to power.”

The Luhyia often complain that the perceived condescending attitude persists to this day, and during the Kakamega convention, local MPs vowed to walk out of the party or create a faction that would be independent of the Raila column – ODM-in-Government and ODM-out-of-Government factions.

At the meeting, women delegates drawn from the five counties in western who vied for member of county assembly (MCA), women’s seats and Member of Parliament but failed, said their counterparts elsewhere were nominated owing to their commitment and support for the party. But in western Kenya, the losers were allegedly short-changed after losers allegedly ODM top leadership and secretariat, that has touched off an onslaught the party finds it difficult to heal from.

The women complained about how their loyalty is taken for granted as nominations are awarded to regions and communities that do not have a foothold in the party, leave alone vying and losing an elective seat.

 “We offered ourselves to campaign for this party and we have done our best to marshal support and when we were doing so nobody came to ask us if we had academic qualifications to campaign for the party and mobilise. When we want to vie for seats within our party – ODM – all of a sudden we are asked if we have the right academic qualifications and for those of us who have but do not fit in the favour of the party’s top organs eyes, we are short-changed by the national office, where the highest bidder takes it all. We are no longer going to accept this because, obviously, we are only being used as flower-girls and cheerleaders in the party, but the real brides are somewhere else. When I win a seat, I am short-changed because I cannot raise a Ksh2 million ($15,456)?” a woman from Kakamega asked.

 Busia chairman of people living with disabilities (PLWD) Ronald Obiero shared his members’ grief as persons with disability. He said they had committed themselves to register voters for the party but were left out during nominations due to their lack of funds.

The conclusion of the delegates from the region is that ODM only serves the interests of the affluent and powerful in western Kenya with little regard to democracy.   

Local Members of Parliament led by Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera roundly criticised party headquarters for thriving on doublespeak and appealed to interim party leader, Prof Anyang Nyong’o, to restore order in the party.

“You are now the party leader and you are the marrow of ODM. Please let our direction be clearly known as it will be fraudulent to state that we are working with President William Ruto’s government at the same time refuting our association with his administration in equal measures”

His Navakholo counterpart Emmanuel Wangwe told the office to take seriously the concerns of western Kenya delegates.

“Let us listen to what they are saying so that when the right time comes we will have the right people to work with, for it is they who gave us to you and not the other way round.”

He also called for proper direction and communication from the top organs on where the party was headed “because as ODM we have given our best experts to work with Kenya Kwanza. Now can we still stand up in public and oppose the same government they serve in? Whoever seems to be leaning towards the same government will also be harshly criticised. Give us a clear position of where we are,” said Wangwe

Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali noted that, while Kakamega had given Raila Odinga massive support in the form of parliamentary and county assembly seats the party won, there was no single nomination to the broad-based government in despite the party allocated given four slots.

“Kakamega County, besides Nyanza, has the highest number of ODM elected MPs, hence our numbers must count in matters development. Let this be taken seriously and our grievances also addressed to that effect; let’s avoid the doublespeak from party headquarters,” he warned.

Shinali added, “Let me tell you that we are aware that there are six more slots coming to ODM. We are closely watching you; bring everything on the table. Let us discuss the distribution of the positions for we deserve to be rewarded more for our unwavering support for ODM.”

Likuyani MP Innocent Mugabe was even more candid. He wants bribery to end at party headquarters. On his part, Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo Mudenyo reminded ODM leadership that the cradle of the party is in western Kenya and the region should not be treated as alien.

“We demand respect. We still command a massive following in the party. That should not be ignored,” he said.

The meeting ended on a sore note following an altercation between Butere MP Tindi Mwale and his Saboat counterpart Caleb Amisi over who should fill the vacant position of parliamentary accounts committee chairmanship, previously held by former Suba MP John Mbadi. The seat fell vacant after Mbadi was appointed Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury. Mwale deputised Mbadi and wants to be elevated to chairmanship.

• A Tell report  / By Isaac Wakhungu Andanje