Did Raila organize ODM chaos?

Ab-Titchaz

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Did Raila organize ODM chaos?



KICKING UP A STORM: A man disrupts the ODM elections at Safaricom Stadium Kasarani during the party?s NDC on Friday

Claims have been made that party leader Raila Odinga or his close allies organised the Friday chaos to scuttle the ODM elections at Kasarani gymnasium. The party's National Governing Council chaired by Raila is scheduled to meet today to decide on the way forward for ODM.

The NGC is likely going to install interim officials after the various posts were declared vacant shortly before the chaos erupted on Friday. Yesterday, Prof Amukoa Anangwe, who teaches political science at Dodoma University, said the chaos could have been stage managed by Raila's camp after they sensed that the former Prime Minister's preferred line-up of candidates was going to be defeated.

Anangwe, who once served as Butere MP, said the "goons in black suits" were organised by a faction allied to Raila to disrupt the exercise and preempt a takeover of ODM leadership by people they perceive to be "not so loyal" to the party leader.

The so-called "not so loyal" faction includes Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba, who is running for secretary general, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (deputy party leader) and Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok (chairman).

Nairobi county ODM chairman George Aladwa had on Saturday held a press conference to warn Raila that the party was about to be taken away from him. He said the Namwamba and Joho team should instead leave ODM.

"ODM belongs to the Prime Minister," Aladwa said.

Anangwe spoke even as ODM candidates said to be favoured by Raila including Funyula MP Paul Otuoma (chairman) Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (deputy party leader) nominated Senator Agnes Zani (secretary general), Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang (vice chairman) held a press conference where they said they will not allow ODM "to be taken away".

The group claimed that it was Ababu's camp that orchestrated Friday's chaos.

"We are convince that it is this group's military formation that disrupted our otherwise peaceful elections as the violence started with disagreements over their line up," Zani said.

Kajwang said those who claim he is among those who orchestrated the violence should forward the information to the police. The group demanded that the party's secretariat to identify the "men in black" since it was its responsibility alongside the Elections Board, to organise the elections.

"It is the secretariat that planned the whole exercise and facilitated access into the stadium. They facilitated people who were not supposed to be there," Zani said.

"ODM is a national party and we will not allow it to be taken over by the 'old enemies' through proxies. True ODMers, arise and defend the party," said Otuoma on Twitter.

The Ababu group has argued that it received overwhelming support from delegates at Kasarani last Friday and hence should be allowed to take over as party officials. The team was widely cheered at Kasarani, an indication that it was going to carry the day. A group of men dressed in black suits however disrupted the process at the start of voting destroying some of the ballot boxes and ballot papers. This forced the outgoing secretary general Anyang Nyong'o to call off the elections indefinitely.

Yesterday, speaking at a church in Kitengela, Ababu said his camp had nothing to do with the chaos.

"Those who sent goons to Kasarani are known and we are waiting for them to be taken to account the mess they caused. They will have to take full responsibility for their actions. We are also ready for a repeat election anytime and anywhere only if we are assured those goons will not be brought back," Ababu said.

He dismissed those who have threatened to take him to court over the Friday fracas. ODM executive director Magerer Langat said youths believed to be allied to Aladwa forced their way into Kasarani gymnasium and caused the fracas.

"I saw prominent persons giving them money to share before and after the fracas," Langat said on Saturday.

"I saw others carrying water branded with a candidate's name and every time they accessed the gymnasium they never left and their numbers kept building. I reported this case for directions but I was never given answers," he said.

The Ababu team has claimed that Aladwa, together with former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo and Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang organised the hooligans. The three have denied the claims.

"Ababu must prove his weird allegations because I was at Kasarani as a candidate just like him," Aladwa said yesterday.

He threatened to take legal action against the Budalang'i legislator.

Speaking separately, nominated MP Isaac Mwaura denied any role in the violence. Mwaura, who was standing on the table before the violence erupted, said his only problem was the preferred list of candidates which was dished out to delegates over lunch.

"I know nothing about the violence nor the men in black. That is not my problem. My problem is with the pre-rigging that was taking place inside the polling station. Whoever distributed the list committed an electoral offence," he said.

"I registered my complaint with the elections board at the polling station and I will pursue it further today at the NGC," Mwaura said when he visited the Star office yesterday.

Last week, speaking after a meeting chaired by Raila at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation in Upper, Aladwa told off Joho and Ababu, accusing them of being used by external forces to scuttle the party polls. -

See more at: DID RAILA ORGANISE ODM CHAOS? | The Star
 
In this Eastern African country, as long as is politics it might be! Though not direct him, maybe his close allies.
 

For the first time,,,i will defend Raila Odinga.

How can any one fool others that Raila Odinga can do such a thing.

Raila Odinga is the owner of this party,,,he have been working very
hard,, to see the party sails through all this.

So it is impossible for him to disrupt elections of his own party
when the whole nation was watching.

The problem in Kenya is that,,,you can just wake from your
sleep,,go and call for a press conference and tell what you
dream the previous night.

What are ODM's problem?????

My simple answer,,,is that they were trying to run when they cannot.

Democracy is just a word but making it practical,,, is another thing.

No time did any party in Kenya went through any party elections where
officials were democratically elected.

All party officials,,in this country,,have always been picked and installed
in their offices.

Raila Odinga tried it,,as usual,,to select senator Zani and make her the
new secretary general and that is when when hell broke loose.

Luo Nyanza could not take it lightly,,,ODM belonged to them,,
Zani is from the coast.

People who were not from Luo nyanza,,like Namwamba could equally
not take it,,,how can a person like Zani,,just come from nowhere and
made secretary general,,when people like him,,,Namwamba,,be left out
knowing very well how they had sacrificed to make Raila Odinga what he is.

Many knew and saw that ODM's elections was headed to nowhere.

The problem,,largely,,,is Ukabila,,where one group see's the party as their
property.

Another one,,,is Raila himself,,,where he still thinks,,,he can appoint any
one and call it,,,democracy.

I'm very sorry,,,but let me tell my brothers on the other side,,that,,,ODM
is in ICU and only miracle's can bring it back.

There is so much bitterness among themselves and i do not see them solving
their problems.

As i said many times,,,these are the last days of,,,Orange Democratic Movement
in Kenya.

They will not be there in 2018 and if,,,,then it will be an empty name.
 
The only thing that can save ODM,,is where Raila Odinga steps aside,,,let young
generation take over,,also go to his people in nyanza,,tell them that when
people thought a party can belonged to them,,is over.

That is the only miracle which can save this party,,which used to be a giant.

Short of that,,,,then,,better start looking for a grave,,,to bury this dying giant.
 

Really? And for whose benefit? It beats logic.
 
Koborer said:
Really? And for whose benefit? It beats logic.
Click to expand...

This is an interesting read....

Do you know these ‘Men in Black'?



PHOTO | FILE Members of the gang overcome ODM officials and go on the rampage shortly after voting started at Kasarani. NATION

By ISAAC ONGIRI

[h=3]In Summary[/h]
  • Police begin investigations after ODM formally lodged complaints
  • Kasarani OCPD Augustine Thumbi told the Nation that the party's Executive Director Magerer Langat has already lodged a formal complaint over the matter and that police were pursuing the suspects.

The mafia-like gang that disrupted the Orange Democratic Movement's National Delegates Conference had been mobilised from various towns around the country.

The Nation has learnt through interviews with multiple sources that they came from as far as Nakuru, Eldoret, Nairobi, Kakamega, Busia and Kisumu two days before the event with a clear brief to bloodlessly disrupt it.

They had planned to raid the venue by mid-morning but held on due to an anticipated police presence.

On Thursday, Kasarani OCPD Augustine Thumbi told the Nation that the party's Executive Director Magerer Langat has already lodged a formal complaint over the matter and that police were pursuing the suspects.

"We have launched investigations into this matter. We are going to invite top party officials to come and record statements to help us unravel what may have happened and those who planned it.

"We will be recording statements from Nominated MP Isaac Mwaura as well," Mr Thumbi said.

He said Mr Magerer who has alleged he was assaulted by one of the suspects is expected to return a filled P3 form to the police today.

The gang waylaid and assaulted him in the VIP area accusing him of having involved the police in the whole operation.

"It is true they attacked me. They were unhappy that police were involved and had demanded that I explain the police presence at the venue," Mr Magerer said.

LANGAT SLAPPED

Witnesses said the ODM official was slapped by one the goons moments after they disrupting the exercise.

"These are people we know-they were assembled from all over. Some came from Kakamega, Nakuru, Eldoret, Busia, Kisumu and Nairobi," Mr Langat said.

"We are glad that action is being taken on this matter. And we hope it will address the security concerns that arose at the event," said Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba.

Those interviewed said the gang members were known for heinous crimes and assaults in Kisumu and its environs.

Though police had attempted to block the goons from accessing the gymnasium-they took advantage of party leader Raila Odinga's convoy to break into the venue and took strategic positions around the voting area. (Anyone with information regarding the men should send it to newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com or call 0719038438).

Do you know these ‘Men in Black’? - Politics - nation.co.ke
 

Well, i must admit that these goons were extremely efficient in doing their " work ". It looks like they were thoroughly briefed.
 

I beg to differ, Raila is trying to clean up his mess he created when he made ODM a Luo Nyanza affair. His people have been entangled into the party politics to the core. He now wants to wrestle it from them and giving it a national look by having Zani take the mantle. Majority of the supporters couldn't allow and they were for either one of their own or neighboring Namwamba. The mood of that day was very clear even during the introduction of participants, delegates were jeering his preferred candidate. Something had to be done to save him from the embarrassment.
 
By STANDARD on SUNDAY Reporter Kenya:

Details have emerged that the combative "Men in Black" at the aborted ODM elections last weekend were acting on instruction and executing a carefully crafted script.

Investigations by The Standard on Sunday reveal that the top leadership of the party was not necessarily in the dark regarding the presence and role of the riotous young men at the polls. The "Men in Black" caused the ODM elections to be halted a few minutes after a handful of delegates had cast their votes. According to an ODM senior official from Nairobi and who is in the know about details of the preparations a few days before the event, there was an elaborate plan to disrupt the elections should it become clear that the Hassan Joho–Ababu Namwamba team was going to win. The masters of the "Men in Black" - including three senior ODM officials from Nairobi County - assembled an army of close to hundred youths from Nairobi's Eastlands and Kibera under the stewardship of former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo, former Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa and the party's Nairobi Youth Leader Collins Ondiek.

Now Watch: KTN Weekend Prime full bulletin 08.03.2014 with Yvonne Okwara

According to our source who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, the idea of thwarting the Joho-Namwamba team was mooted immediately after party leader Raila Odinga met Nairobi delegates in Upper Hill on Wednesday, two days before the election date. "Immediately after the delegates meeting ended, a group of senior Nairobi party officials including Ndolo, Aladwa, Nairobi ODM youth leader Collins Ondiek and Kadundo who is charge of security at Orange House met at the same venue at 3pm to plan how to execute the scheme to stop the elections. Clear instructions "We agreed that a group of youths posing as party private security people be stationed inside the hall and blend with the delegates but take strategic positions from where they would easily swing into action should the need arise," said the source. "The instructions were very clear; do not allow anything to continue after we give you the signal to act," said the insider.

In the scheme, which he said went on according to plan, a senior politician donated Sh200, 000 to procure the black jackets for the "security" people to ensure they looked distinct and easily convincing that they were indeed security personnel.

"Most of them have provided security during ODM functions previously and therefore it would be easy for the delegates and anyone else to trust them.

And as anticipated, no one raised a finger when they got in and sat comfortably in the hall which was strictly reserved for bona fide delegates, the election board, observers and journalists," said the ODM source. The black jackets were ordered on Wednesday and a female tailor, who is a relative of the senior Nairobi ODM official, promised that they would be ready the following day. "A total of 12 tailors started working on close to 40 black jackets while the youths were told to get black trousers to match with the coats. She did an amazing job and we picked the jackets the following day as promised," he said. The following day, the "Men in Black" and their masters met at 3D Restaurant on Elgeyo Marakwet Road from 7 pm. Later in the night, the group relocated to Green House on Ngong Road where they briefly met one of the candidates running for the Secretary General position. About an hour later, the team accompanied the candidate to Ngong Hills Hotel on the same road. At about midnight, the group met Raila at the hotel. The party leader had come to the hotel from a meeting at Kempinski Hotel on Waiyaki Way, Westlands where he had met the Joho-Ababu team.

Raila, according to our source, took his dinner before he briefly met the group and asked them to "fuata vile wakubwa wenyu wanasema" (take instructions from your bosses).

Both Aladwa and Ndolo denied that they were involved in the planning and said they were busy campaigning for the positions they were gunning for."That is idle talk, I was not involved in any business of disrupting the elections and I am seeking legal advice on some of the people who associated me with the men in black," Ndolo responded. Aladwa, who admitted to have attended the meetings, said that if he were involved in the planning it would have been worse than what went on at Kasarani and pointed an accusing finger at the election board. We are puzzled "The elections board should say what they know, because they must have been the ones who engaged the youths who are well known to the party to offer security. We heard them calling for security and the men in black came out," said Aladwa. However, Nancy Abisai, a member of the elections board, said that at no time did the board engage any private security to oversee their NDC and subsequent polls. "The board wrote to the party secretariat requesting police officers to be deployed to the venue and as you may have seen there was heavy presence of security in the area.

We are still puzzled over where the men in black came from. I remember asking them to move away from the ballots when the elections were about to start," said Ms Abisai.

Read more at: Standard Digital News - Kenya : Revealed: The inside story of ODM?s ?Men in Black?
 
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