A dispute has rocked the management of ODM in Homa Bay following a decision to oust Senator Otieno Kajwang’ as chairman of the party at the county.
This came even as delegates proposed a number of changes which were rejected by the affected office bearers.
The delegates voted unanimously to replace Mr Kajwang with former Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo.
Mr Ogindo was the party’s Vice chairman in Homa bay before he defected to Federal Party of Kenya (FPK) some days to the 2013 General election.
Also replaced was Vice chairman Monica Amolo. She has been replaced by Mr Charles Ongondo Were who contested the Kasipul parliamentary seat on Tip Tip ticket but lost.
Mrs Amolo was however lucky as she was given the position of treasurer that was temporarily held by Mrs Esther Dwalo.
The rest of the officials who include James Rege (Secretary), Silvance Osele (Assistant Treasurer), Jeremia Gogo Achila (Assistant Treasurer) were saved from the reshuffle.
The delegates said they had taken the decision to revitalise the party.
But Mrs Amolo disputed the change saying it was inconsequential and done without due procedure.
Mrs Amolo maintained that Mr Kajwang was the branch chairman and she was his deputy.
She described those behind their alleged removal from office as sympathisers of “Kalausi”, the yet to be registered party that will rival ODM in Nyanza.
“Those behind the said coup are well known. Whatever they have done is null and void”, she said.
She wondered who at the Orange House will dare receive documents of their alleged ouster from office.
Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo was also elected in absentia as Organising Secretary replacing Consolata Yambo Migowa who resigned after being appointed County Executive in charge of water.
The delegates made the changes in a meeting that took place on Sunday at the Homa Bay Farmers Training Centre.
Rangwe ODM Sub branch chairman Kennedy Marembo said ODM activities in the county had gone down because of poor leadership.
The delegates also charged that since Senator Kajwang had declared interest on the party’s national vice chairman’s position, he has no business clinging on the post of chairman.
