ODM’s Mbadi ‘Calls off’ the Street Protests in Effort to Take Back Control of Maandamano

ODM honchos react in effort to take control of the political narrative that, for the first time, excluded Raila Odinga from the centre of action and threatened to render him irrelevant

BY THEDISPATCH.DIGITAL REPORTER

The Orange Democratic Movement Party, ODM has called its members off the streets after its leader, concurred with President William Ruto on national dialogue yesterday. In a statement issued by Party Chairman John Mbadi, the party said it was in agreement with its party Leader and that “his call is in the best interest of the country and will help address the emerging issues in a structured and coordinated manner.”

Justifying Raila’s position by referring to the 2023 Finance Bill protests, which ended without realising real wins after President Ruto remained adamant on his position, only yielding to the creation of the National Dialogue Committee, which led to the drafting of seven Bills, Mbadi it was ‘not an exercise in futility as alleged” and old party members to “align with and support the party’s position.”

But while appearing to be seeking acceptance by the Gen Z movement, which has attracted support from all Kenyan youth regardless of their tribe or political affiliation, Mbadi said, “We must also align and demand the immediate addressing of the issues being raised by the youth and a cross section of Kenyans.” He did not however explain how the party, which has previously failed to move the government to address its many grievances, would ensure compliance on its own. There are still six more Bills arising from the NADCO report that Ruto is yet to assent to and only assented to the IEBC reform Bill due to sustained Gen Z pressure.

The ODM party yesterday came under fire after Raila spoke in support of President Ruto, and its Secretary General, youthful senator for Nairobi Edwin Sifuna emerged this morning to to “clarify” that Raila had not spoken for Gen Z but his ethnic party base. It appeared to observers that Sifuna and Mbadi’s reactions were efforts to control the reactions that have erupted following Raila’s statement, which have portrayed him as traitor to the democratic cause for which he has appeared to fight for so long.

It is believed hat Raila draws his political power from his ability to order his mostly ODM ethnic base to respond to his calls for Maandamano to help him realise a particular political goal.  It is the same base that he is now telling to shun the demonstrations after he laid bare his support for the Ruto regime, which is sponsoring his bid to become the African Union Chairman in February next year. If his base responds to his call, he would have more bargaining power to demand positions for his elites in ODM, who include people who have previously been accused of sabotaging his presidential ambitions and cutting deals at the expense of the party and its members.

As part of his preparations to keep his base intact, Raila is said to have planned to install members of his party, especially those who have supported his political activities with finances, into a Government of National Unity expected to be announced when talks with Ruto are concluded. Those plans also include elevating Homa Bay’s PR-savvy governor Gladys Wanga to become the principal ODM Leader in his absence and possibly make her Ruto’s Deputy President in case he (Raila) wins the AU seat and current deputy President Rigathi Gacagua is impeached. But all those are long term plans that would be derailed if Gen Z keeps its momentum and renders the political class irrelevant in the coming days. Raila is himself said to be interested in the DP post and would take it if it is offered but is using Wanga as bait and a decoy with a view to taking it when and if it comes.

Mbadi’s statement has finally laid bare the goings-on behind the scenes that have culminated in Raila making public his support for the Ruto administration. That support is said to have arisen from his disappointment with the Uhuru Kenyatta regime, which failed to win him support from the populous Gema population at the last general elections. His lieutenants have made it clear that they suspect Uhuru did not wholeheartedly support his bid and could have, ironically for claimants to democratic credentials, helped to rig he last elections in Raila’s favour.

Observers note that Raila’s move of agreeing to dialogue with Ruto was his way of attempting to assert relevance and pull the rug from under he feet of Gen Z as the political class had been isolated and excluded from the movement and protests which has realised unimaginable results.

Raila’s Luo ethnic support base largely kept off the Gen Z demonstrations and only joined when they appeared to be overshadowing the ODM movement, and the restive youth population in Luo Nyanza couldn’t hold back. The ODM bas has previously held the record as the movement capable of pulling off effective demonstrations. That reputation was shattered by the Gen Z demos, which achieved a feat hitherto unrealised by ODM – pulling off demonstrations in  every party of the country simultaneously.

“The political class is regrouping to take back control of the politics, which they had been  excluded from,” says Alfred Onyango. “Gen Z must have shocked Raila because they took away his most potent political weapon – Maandamano. He could switch it on and off as he desired. He must therefore do everything he possibly can to reclaim that power back. That everything includes stopping any future Maandamano in which he has no role.”

A former ODM director of Political Affairs, Wafule Buke, says, “the independence, organization, discipline, vision and commitment of Generation Zee are a direct attack on the political relevance of both Raila and Ruto.” and that “Raila’s “brotherhood” with Ruto is obviously a sanitisation injection for the UDA government while RUTO”s move to implement the Kalonzo Musyoka and Ichungwa recommendations is a lifeline back to relevance for Baba and Azimio.”

Buke a former Chairman of the radical mid-1980s University of Nairobi students Union SONU, , who has emerged as an independent-mined ODM supporter who adopts practical approaches to political challenges, says “To UDA and Azimio! Yours is an unholy alliance. A conspiracy against the young people of Kenya. Why would you hold a meeting excluding the real agenda drivers if you are genuine? To the nation! Things will never be the same again. Gen Zee has invented a new weapon against dictatorship that will be put to us across the African continent.”