Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba has failed in his duties as ODM secretary general, and is only looking for excuses to cover up the failures, ODM Deputy Party Leader Wycliffe Oparanya has said.
A section of Western Kenya legislators led by Namwamba in a Tuesday press conference accused Cord of side-lining leaders from the region in its activities.
Namwamba and Funyula MP Paul Otuoma slammed Cord for allegedly referring to them as Jubilee moles in the coalition.
They accused Cord leaders of not consulting them over its activities and said they have the right to express divergent views as party members.
In a rejoinder statement on Wednesday evening, Oparanya termed Namwamba’s statements as “dangerous, unfortunate and not befitting of a leader in the position he holds.”
Oparanya said the fact that Namwamba has been missing in action and failing to provide leadership at critical moments in ODM was a clear indication that he is not committed to the party’s agenda.
“It is not a secret that the Secretary General has been missing in action and failing to provide leadership at critical moments. He was missing as the party prepared to welcome its leader Hon Raila Odinga back into the country after a three month sabbatical in the US. The SG was missing throughout the Okoa Kenya pro-referendum campaign and lately he has been missing from all effort to disband and reform the IEBC. Yet reform of the IEBC is critical to ODM’s plans for ascending to power,” said the Kakamega governor.
“As we approach elections, many leaders will be seeking excuses for their failure in an effort to find their way back. ODM supporters must remain alert to such maneuvres and hold individuals to account for the positions they held,” he added.
The ODM deputy party leader also dismissed claims by the Western MPs that the Luhya community is not well represented in ODM and Cord.
He said that the utterances by Namwamba were an embarrassment to the Luhya community, and assured ODM supporters that the party is strong in the Western region.
“The Luhya community is equally well represented and catered for in the party, holding key positions like that of Deputy Party Leader, Vice Chairman, Deputy Organizing Secretary and chairman of Disputes Tribunal, among others,” said Oparanya.
“At the beginning of the 11th Parliament, the party was also kind enough to reward our support with the chairmanship of the powerful Public Accounts Committee, which went to Hon Namwamba and which we lost through reckless arrogance and selfishness,” he added.