Money and mystery: How Oketch Salah has burst ODM's political turf

He is the new political marksman driving forward President William Ruto’s reelection agenda within ODM in ways that appear to unsettle the apex of the Orange party, left some supporters baffled and planted smiles on the faces of others from the bundles of cash he readily gives out.

The name Oketch Salah is no longer a strange name in the country’s political arena, but now arouses profound suspicion among ODM’s top figures and supporters. Within President William Ruto’s fold, he is considered a vital asset by the president’s operatives in their bid to nail down ODM to the last man.

In the last couple of months, he has visited nearly all areas that Raila had considered his political bedroom and sought to touch the hearts of what was Raila’s most lucrative political asset-the people.

For a start, his entry into the country’s political arena is as strange as his current run of parallel ODM events anchored on what he describes as rejuvenating the party’s grassroots support.

While some claim he is a political fixer working discreetly for UDA, others believe he is a Mr fix it for the president  in the complex jigsaw puzzle that is the bid to collapse ODM into UDA.

He has the skills and ability that few in ODM have, and has positioned himself as a key political player that cannot be wished away just yet. He is wealthy, has a close proximity to the who’s who in the country’s political space, and is a behemoth in the gold trade.

But how a man who was barely known in Migori about three months ago has scaled the heights to become a potential kingmaker and a senior ODM operative is a mystery. Even the deepest and closest individuals within the party’s structure admit Salah has puzzled them with his meteoric rise.

Who is bankrolling him? Why the sudden rise, and what is his mission? And how did a man who has never contested for any political seat become one of the centers of power of ODM in record time?

Political analyst and advocate of the High Court Clifford Obiero believes Salah could be doing someone else’s bidding.

“ODM is doing everything so open and are weakening their chances of getting a good deal with Ruto,” he says. He opines that several leaders are insecure in ODM and that could be the reason for the rise of Salah.

According to some ODM insiders, Salah is a discreet but deliberate political architect towing the infighting-riddled ODM into Ruto’s political arms through the back door.

Yesterday, a senior ODM operative described Salah as a mole planted to wreck ODM from within through staged party events disguised as ODM events but with connotations of UDA’s influence.

He likened him to a political whale slowly swallowing ODM in whole alongside the party’s gullible leaders and spit it into Ruto’s UDA without breaking a sweat.

On Friday, after a week of intense political activities, Salah pitched a tent at KICC, drawing a crowd of university students clad in matching ODM outfits and drooling over the handouts they were expecting to receive afterwards.

ODM shirts

But one thing was eye-catching. The printed ODM shirts had a bold picture of President Ruto imprinted on them alongside a faint image of Raila’s as well as his own picture.

However, what had been anticipated to be another flawless ODM-themed meeting turned into an ultimate flop as the students chanted anti-Ruto slogans while demanding handouts.

ODM insiders believe Salah is on a mission to complicate things for the party and render them at the mercy of President Ruto’s power machine, UDA.

He is busy in public, rallying support for ODM, and relentless on his social media pages that were barely active prior to Raila’s demise.

Alongside him is political novice and Oburu’s son, Jaoko Oburu, who is also hoping to make a breakthrough in the murky political waters, albeit by clutching on the late Raila Odinga’s political clout. They have traversed several places under the guise of rebuilding ODM.

He has visited Kondele, met youths at Jacaranda, and in his latest exploits, rallied university students to join his train to Ruto’s political train.

But one thing is clear. Salah is at the core of implementing Ruto’s transactional politics, dishing out money, promises, and party regalia.

Beneath his chest lies a huge safe of secrets and words of wisdom that Raila allegedly shared with him in a communion they had in India before Raila died.

But these secrets that he had been releasing intermittently are all anchored on support for President Ruto’s reelection bid and nothing grounded on what Raila had prioritized in his 10-point agenda with the ruling UDA government that he spoke about publicly months before he died.

The traction of belief of this claims, however, is slowly fading as more ODM operatives prick holes in his mighty exclusive information on Raila’s last wishes.

Yesterday, the party he claims is burning his sweat and wealth to build itself disassociated itself from his rallies across the country.

In a statement, ODM chairperson Gladys Wanga said Salah’s events are carried out strictly in his personal capacity and do not represent or bind the party, adding that the party’s activities are channeled through the secretariat.

“Grassroots leaders, members, and supporters are therefore advised that no activities should be organised or conducted in the name of ODM without prior consultation,” said Wanga.

Salah, however, sought to downplay the claims in a statement of his own and claimed that he has been using his own resources to implement what he claimed was a promise he gave to the late Raila when they were in India.

“I have not asked ODM for money and I have not used party funds. This has been my personal contribution to a party that I love and respect,” says Salah, adding that he will continue to support the party out of respect for Raila.

Raila’s own family has dismissed him and his claims. ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna also described his entry as a mystery and claimed he only came to learn about him during the burial of Raila. 

Under the guise of reviving ODM as he was allegedly directed by Raila before he died, he has met ODM delegates across several parts of the country.

How Raila opted to share such a communion before he died with Salah and not any of his close family members is a baffling jigsaw puzzle that none in ODM leaders, including Raila’s younger daughter Winnie Odinga, his sister Ruth Odinga and others, appear to understand.

For now, he is tapping credibility on his claims through his association with Oburu’s son Jaoko, who has accompanied him in a number of his activities.

In some of the events held by Oburu, he sits in close proximity to Oburu, whispering advice and clutching the top of the vehicle’s sunroofs to wave to ODM fanatics.

But this trust is slowly adding to the list of political gaffes that Oburu has locked in his short stint in power, if the events that forced the party to dismiss Oketch’s rallies are anything to read from.

Flashing his characteristic smile, the bulky man with roots from Migori cannot be ignored in the country’s political space.

He has talked himself into relevance within a very short period and anchored his rise on the late Raila’s political coat.

If a list of Raila’s coattailers were to be drafted, Salah’s name would probably feature among his last recruits.

He has been omnipresent, loud, and has depicted himself as the custodian of Raila’s last thoughts and instructions to his multitude of followers.

Pictures of him enjoying meals with Raila, dancing with the late ODM leader, and spending quality time with the departed political stalwart elated Raila’s supporters. In Raila’s political strongholds, winning Raila’s confidence and being able to spend time with him was a dream that even ODM leaders struggled to achieve.

Most of them would marvel at the prospects of just taking a picture or a selfie with Raila. Those pictures formed part of their campaign messaging, and it was uncommon to see politicians flooding their social media pages with pictures they took with Raila, with very long captions.

And this is the proximity that Salah enjoyed. The pictures he took with Raila and the few public appearances he had with the former ODM chief turned him into a voice of credibility in ODM.

So dedicated is Salah that barely a week passes before he leads a popularity drive  on behalf of the ODM party. He has the ear of the new party leader Oburu Oginga and is among the close circle helping him in his attempts to steady the ship. But who is Oketch Salah?

In the recent past, he has identified himself as Raila’s adopted son; some have claimed he was Raila’s personal doctor, while those in the gold business know him as a tycoon who has pulled strings to help shape the country’s gold industry.

Last week, Oketch added another layer of mystery to the claim that he was Raila’s adopted son after he referred to Raila’s widow, Ida Odinga, as his sister. Generally, many had expected him to identify Ida as his adopted mother if his past claims on Raila are anything to go by.

In a Facebook post in response to a TV interview by Raila’s younger daughter Winnie Odinga, where Winnie appeared to disown him as her adopted brother, Salah referred to Ida as his sister, and in the same post also referred to Winnie as his younger sister.

“I had a respectful discussion with my sister from Migori, Her Excellency Ambassador Min Piny, Mama Ida Odinga,” said Salah. However, his post attracted pockets of criticism from users who claimed that his positions on his relationship with Raila were misleading.

In Migori, residents claim they know him as a philanthropic son of the soil who grew up in the town and is among several traders of Somali origin who have made a fortune in the area, but have made it home.

Non-natives

Just like a few other non-natives, the man who straddles tall and oozes authority speaks fluently in Luo and has mastered his way of moving the masses.

His social media pages have been abuzz with activity. Videos of him making claims about what Raila told him have also been circulating online.

“One thing that Raila once told me that I have now seen happening is about Sifuna. He once told me to forget about Sifuna, saying he was closely observing him and that he might be someone’s mole, and it has now begun to show. Sifuna has begun to show that indeed he was being used by someone, just like Raila told me,” he said.

Within a short time, he has dished money running into millions in public.

For instance, on January 14, he announced he offered Sh2 million to victims whose houses were demolished in Kibra and Langata in Nairobi. He has also promised members of Bunge la Wananchi in Jacaranda Sh50,000.

Similarly, last week, Salah, while addressing party supporters from South Rift, claimed he is financially prepared to buy out delegates to back Oburu’s bid as the party leader in a National Delegates Convention.

“When we go to the National Delegates Conference (NDC), if anyone tries to bribe you, just know we have the money. If they try to bribe you, do not agree. We have the money. Do not be bribed by anyone. If anyone wants to bribe you so that they vote against Dr Oburu, come to me and ask me for money,” he said.

Early this week, Salah, alongside Oburu’s son Jaoko Oburu, rallied residents of Kericho in an event he described as the activation of ODM’s grassroots structures.

During the meeting, Salah met ODM delegates clad in matching ODM colours.