Inside the scramble for Raila's two deputies

A fresh supremacy test is brewing in opposition leader Raila Odinga's ODM party as key stalwarts scramble for top party positions.

The posts of the two deputy party leaders and chairperson of the party have ushered in a campaign mood in the Orange party.

The Standard has established intense lobbying has begun as siblings eyeing the lucrative slots vacated by Cabinet nominees Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho rally support.

Meetings across Western, Nyanza, and the Coastal region have become a norm while lobby groups have also issued statements to support the potential candidates.

Among those eyeing to deputise Raila are Governors Simba Arati (Kisii), Abdulswamad Nassir (Mombasa), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Gideon Mung'aro and Fernandes Barasa (Kakamega).

This is happening amid fears the intense lobbying could reawaken the sibling rivalries that threatened to crumble Raila's party as lieutenants began an early scramble to succeed him as party leader after he announced interest in the African Union Commission chairperson's job.

On Sunday, as some lobby groups and leaders drummed up support for Nassir in Mombasa, others pitched tent in Homa Bay to rally behind Wanga's candidature.

In Mombasa, ODM leaders have endorsed Governor Nassir, while others want Mombasa county assembly speaker Aharub Khatri to succeed Joho.

In Kilifi County, ODM supporters want the party to consider Governor Mung’aro as the deputy party leader.

Politicians led by ODM Women league chairperson Ms Esther Kache and Rabai Kisurutini MMCA Mr Mae Mwadena appealed to ODM party leader Raila Odinga to consider Mung’aro as Joho’s replacement.

They claimed Mung’aro has the goodwill of his fellow governors in Coast to assume the deputy party leader position.

“We have known Mung’aro as a founding member of ODM and he has been loyal to his party leader; hence, he is best suited to replace Joho as deputy party leader. He is also the current chair of the Jumuiya Ya Kaunti Za Pwani (JKP), and this shows how the other governors value him. I urge Raila to consider him for that position,” Kache stated.

Mwadena said that the popularity of the party in Kilifi County will be at stake if ODM fails to make Mung’aro the deputy party leader, arguing that Mombasa already has a share of national positions since Joho has been named CS.

“When we look at the sharing of national positions, Mombasa and Kwale already have CSs in Joho and former Kwale governor Salim Mvurya, and it will be good if, as a county that is a stronghold of ODM we get the deputy party leader position because it is only through such elevation of our leader that the party will remain strong,” he said.

In Kisumu, however, a group of ODM Youth League members claimed Arati is the best placed to take one of the slots of the deputy party leaders.

"Arati embodies the spirit of the youth. His energetic and dynamic approach to politics resonates deeply with young Kenyans across the Nation," said George Abwajo, an ODM grassroots mobiliser based in Kisumu.

According to Abwajo, their support for the youthful Kisii Governor is due to the need to have someone with a proven track record of loyalty and mobilization capabilities to energize the party ahead of the 2027 General Election.

He urged the ODM leadership to heed their call and support Arati, who is currently the party's vice chairperson, saying that it will help galvanise the youth to support the party.

Similarly, in Homa Bay, women leaders also lined up behind Wanga and claimed they would not relent in their push to have one of their own to ascend to the party's top leadership position.

The women have told the party leadership to support Wanga in becoming the deputy ODM leader regardless of the method they are going to use in filling the vacant positions left by Oparanya and Joho.

The women led by the Chairperson of ODM Women League in Homa Bay County Peres Ogutu, Rangwe Constituency Chairperson Caroline Owidhi, Women leader in Kasipul Constituency, Mary Gaya, MCAs Joan Ogada (Kojwach), Monoflorita Ondiek (Homa Bay Central), Florence Ouma (nominated) and Polyn Achieng (nominated) appealed to ODM leader Raila Odinga to consider Wanga for the post.

Addressing journalists in Homa Bay Town, Ogutu said Wanga had shown the desired leadership credentials during her tenure as the ODM chairperson in Homa Bay County. She said this convinced them that Wanga can perform well as the deputy leader of ODM.

“Wanga’s leadership as the chairperson of ODM has been tested and performed equally well as the deputy party leader of ODM,” Ogutu said.

Ogada argued that Wanga’s ascension to the post would enable women to achieve the two-thirds gender rule both in the ODM party and other elective posts in Kenya.

“We had only one elected female constituency MP in Homa Bay, but when Wanga became the ODM chairperson, today we have four elected constituency MPs,” Ogada said.

Meanwhile, lobby delegates and leaders from Western have thrown their weight behind Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.

Lugari MP Innocent Mugabe during the ODM Kakamega County delegates meeting on Saturday, said Barasa is the best person to hold the position of deputy party leader.

He argued that the position should be reserved for Kakamega.

"Our governor has been doing great work to revamp and make the party strong, and the party is visible courtesy of the governor, and it is on that note that he should be the deputy party leader so that he can continue spearheading the party affairs," said Mugabe.

Mugabe argued that Kakamega County should retain the seat of deputy party leader since it has many ODM legislators as compared to other regions being fronted to get the post.

"We have 10 MPs out of 12 constituencies. We also have the majority of the Members of the County Assembly besides having a large number of registered members of ODM and therefore we should get the largest and equal share in the party by retaining the seat," said Mugabe.

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera maintained that Kakamega County should get the position that has been left vacant by former Kakamega Governor Oparanya.

"Our delegates have resolved that Kakamega county is going for the seat of Deputy Party leader and we are going to front our candidate who is our current governor Fernandes Barasa as the position holder," said Nabwera.

Barasa, who currently serves as the ODM Chairman in Kakamega County, thanked party leader Raila Odinga for allowing leaders from ODM to serve in the broad-based government terming it a great sacrifice and symbol of patriotism.

"We appeal to the Party Leadership to reserve the position of the Deputy Party Leader, previously held by Governor Emeritus Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, for Kakamega County,” said Barasa.

Barasa said he will continue to revive and support the party's affair to make it popular and a people's choice party in Kakamega.

"We should get our rightful share as the people of Kakamega, we have 10 out of 12 MPs including our Women representative, and more than 42 MCAs out of 60," said Barasa.

Last Thursday, Changamwe MP Mr Omar Mwinyi said that the party is yet to decide on the rightful candidate to succeed Joho.

“We are in discussion to determine the best candidate because this role requires a capable leader to represent the people,” said Mwinyi.

Report by Joackim Bwana, Nehemiah Okwembah, James Omoro and Benard Lusigi