A day after ODM Kisii county coordinating committee suspended deputy governor Joash Maangi and county speaker Kerosi Ondieki following allegations that they were working with rival Jubilee alliance to sabotage the party’s activities in the region, Kitutu Chache South MP has criticised the move, terming it cowardly.
Mr Richard Onyonka on Wednesday said the party’s internal democracy was 'wanting' and warned of a mass exodus if the party failed to change tactics in handling its members.
He said the two leaders committed no offence when they went to see Deputy President William Ruto since their visit was 'development driven'.
“It’s really absurd that the party has reverted to punishing people who have the party at heart by working with the government in place to fight discrimination in development. Suspending them was cowardly and I condemn it with the strongest term possible. This kind of silly mistakes by the party might lead to a mass exodus from the party in future,” he said.
Mr Onyonka challenged the ODM coordinating committee led by Mr Erick Janganya to reverse the suspension and summon Maangi and Kerosi to hear their side of the story before suspending them.
“These are arbitrary suspensions and as stakeholders in the party we will not allow such moves. The suspensions must be reversed till the accused are heard. That is the only way we can purport to be supporting democracy,” he said.
Mr Onyonka is also perceived to be a rebel ODM MP and was de-whipped by party’s disciplinary committee from executing his mandate as member of the party in various house committees following allegations that he was working with the government in mid-2015.