A war has erupted within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leadership in Kisumu County where the area chairman Prof. Patrick Ayiecho Olweny is facing a possible ouster by his enemies within the Odinga led party.
Olweny was shocked by a recent incident during a funeral in Seme Sub-county where his successor was named in the presence of party leader Raila Odinga and Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o.
The former Muhoroni lawmaker attempted to inquire the story behind the drama from Odinga and Nyong’o who both ignored him but he is blaming his tribulations on the controversial Kisumu woman representative Ruth Odinga and one Bob Madanji.
Prof. Olweny became a marked man within the ODM rankings when he endorsed former majority leader Samuel Ong’ou during the elections of Kisumu County speaker.
Raila-men further accused him of writing a letter explaining that Ong’ou was the most suitable candidate for the position compared to Elisha Oraro who enjoyed the backing of the ODM owner (Raila Odinga).
Oraro garnered 25 votes against Ong’ou’s 22 in a duel that was decided in the second round of voting. But Olweny is actually being ousted because his views contradicted those of Raila Odinga and another correspondence penned by ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna that Oraro was the party’s choice.
Ong’ou also became an enemy of the ODM party and its leadership after he boycotted Odinga’s meeting with a host of MCAs and convened their own in Nakuru over the election of the speaker.
Olweny now remains defiant as he maintains that he is still the ODM chairman, Kisumu branch, despite the party owners nominating one George Okeyo.
The ODM party is also in the process of removing four nominated members at the Kisumu county assembly for going against Raila Odinga.
ODM’s chief executive officer Oduor Ongwen has already written to the clerk over the matter claiming that Regina Kizito, Kennedy Ajwang, Peter Obaso and Caroline Opar refused to follow party directions during the election of the speaker of the county assembly.
