The decision by the Orange Democratic Movement party leader Raila Odinga to hold a crisis meeting on Wednesday amid a looming fallout has been hailed as timely by two MCAs from Nyamira County.
Raila convened the central management committee meeting following a rebellion by party secretary general Ababu Namwamba and national vice-chairman Paul Otwoma who have openly expressed their dissatisfaction in the running of party’s affairs.
The former prime minister used the event to call for a ceasefire in the party which has in the recent past been dogged by rebellion by MPs from the western Kenya and coast regions.
And now Nyamira County assembly Majority Leader Labana Masira and his deputy James Mating’a said Wednesday the meeting would help ‘cement’ cohesion in the party and forge unity ahead of the 2017 polls.
“As the ODM family, I want to thank the party leader for holding a timely meeting to avert a looming fallout. This isn’t the time to lose members. We need to forge a strong unity among us for the sake of proper preparations for next year's polls,” Masira said.
“We are one people and as a democratic party, it’s good to sit down and iron out differences when we disagree. The party leader has shown leadership skills that consolations are fundamental in any organisation,” he added.
On his part, Mating’a urged disgruntled members of the party top use internal mechanisms before going public to express their displeasure.
“Of course I am pleased by the manner in which our party leader acted swiftly to curb a crisis. However, it’s good sometimes we deal with our in house problems before we go out in public condemning the party’s operations,” he said.