ODM leader Raila Odinga yesterday fired his aide Eliud Owalo following demands from a faction led by Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba.
Owalo has been at loggerheads with Ababu and has been accusing the legislator of being a mole.
It is understood that Ababu and team had on Monday threatened to walk out of a meeting with Raila because of Owalo. Raila was forced to kick Owalo out of the meeting.
“Raila was informed that Owalo has been causing confusion and alienating other ODM members and so Raila had no choice but let Owalo go to save the party,” said a source familiar with the goings on.
Yesterday Owalo withdrew his services to ODM citing frustration and intimidation from Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo.
In a letter to Raila yesterday, Owalo said that he was no longer willing to work with the party and the Cord coalition which brings together ODM, Wiper and Ford-Kenya.
“I have in the recent past faced persistent but unwarranted attacks from your cousin Jakoyo Midiwo; informed primarily by what I believe is his desire for unlimited and unfettered political apace around you,” Owalo said.
Over the weekend, Midiwo accused MPs Oburu Oginga (nominated), Fred Outa (Nyando), Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang and Owalo of misadvising the former PM.
Owalo said that he had endured “backstabbing and innuendos from political busy bodies” in the party over the last two years.
“I cannot reconcile mt conscience witht the latest attacks from Jakoyo who in my considered opinion and belief has no technical capacity to advise me on anything,” Owalo told Raila.
Owalo was the head of Raila’s presidential campaign during the 2013 general elections.
The Star has also established that Owalo was asked to leave the National Governing Council meeting on Monday following protests from Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba’s camp.
The MP and his team had threatened not to sit in the meeting if Owalo was there prompting Raila to ask his aide to leave.
Namwamba, who wants to be ODM secretary general has been protesting that Owalo and Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ of planning to push him out of the party.
Namwamba has said that the duo have branded him a Jubilee mole to deny him victory in the aborted ODM party polls.
There have been a lot of intrigues in ODM since Friday following the aborted elections which have led to the formation of an interim committee.
On Monday, Ngunjiri Wambugu who was the director of political affairs in the Raila campaign also announced that he was quitting the party.
Source-the-star.co.ke
Raila Fires Owalo over Ababu ‘Walkout’ Threat
