Factions have emerged in the Orange Party Nakuru branch over wrangles pitting a section of national leaders against each other.
Denis Luvisi, an official of the party allied to Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has told this writer that local party officials were being drawn into conflicts threatening to break the party.
Luvisi said that so far, party followers are divided by the national officials’ wrangles ever since the aborted national elections of the party.
He said party members and officials in Nakuru allied to Budalangi Member of Parliament Ababu Namwamba and the Kakamega governor are reading from different scripts, a fact that is likely to spell doom for the party’s support locally.
“We are torn apart between Ababu and Oparanya. Party members are no longer united since the two leaders led separate wings during the party elections campaigns. Things may not work well for ODM here unless our national leaders pledge to work together for the unity of the party,” said Luvisi.
Luvisi who is the party’s youth leader added that several meetings that have been called to discuss party matters including the referendum campaigns locally have aborted or were boycotted by party leaders and members, a fact attributed to the wrangles in the national office.
The official said that some party members and officials have been holding separate meetings and demanding for dialogue with the two separate leaders.
He said the Luhya factor was a burning issue in the orange party and was likely to spell doom for the hitherto most popular party in the country.