15 August 2007
Nairobi — The final Orange fall out came in dramatic fashion after Mr Raila Odinga and his allies recaptured the original Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), leaving Mr Kalonzo Musyoka with an ODM-Kenya that political analysts termed a "shell".
Lawyer Mugambi Imanyara surrendered ODM - the party he clandestinely registered soon after the Orange triumph during the 2005 referendum on the draft Constitution - to Raila and his allies.
Immediately, two leading political scientists Mr Mutahi Ngunyi and Dr Adams Oloo said that by being left alone holding onto ODM-Kenya without the support of any key leader, Kalonzo is as good as holding onto a shell.
Imanyara announced he had ceded control of the party after fruitful negotiations initiated by Raila. The party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday ratified the takeover, which paved the way for a National Delegates Conference (NDC) that will pick the party flag-bearer early next month.
"I, together with all members of the party's NEC, hand over our political party unconditionally and without any equivocation whatsoever to the people of Kenya to whom all genuine political parties should belong," Imanyara declared at Orange House, where the ODM leaders had gathered for a NEC meeting.
Mr Said Keitany (National Chairman), Mr Tony Chege (Secretary General) and Ms Jane Muringi (National Coordinator for Women Affairs), who up until Tuesday were officials of ODM, were at Orange House to witness the handing over of the party.
Raila the candidate
The move, according to pundits, is as good as declaring Raila the ODM presidential candidate in the General Election due in December. But Raila was quick to point out that he was not yet the party's candidate.
"I do not consider myself as the presidential candidate yet. The delegates will choose our flag bearer. If they pick me I will gladly accept. But if I am not chosen, I will join the rest of the team and support whoever is picked."
And speaking at the Machakos Garden Hotel where he met grassroots leaders, councillors, MPs and civic and parliamentary aspirants from Ukambani, Kalonzo - who skipped the historic NEC at Orange House - dismissed as "good riddance" Raila's move.
"Today is a historic day since we are experiencing real freedom. We are now vindicated and are the real owners of ODM-Kenya," Kalonzo lashed out.
The Mwingi North MP said the party was now in the hands of registered Chairman Mr Daniel Maanzo. He added that those who had branded him a defector when he joined the Dr Julia Ojiambo-led Labour Party of Kenya (LPK) were now the real defectors.
"I welcome Raila's defection from ODM-Kenya to the new party but urge him to brace for a major political battle," said Kalonzo.
Accompanying Kalonzo were MPs Mr Moffat Maitha, Mr Kiema Kilonzo, Mr Charles Kilonzo, Mr Itwiku Mbai, Mr Daudi Mwanzia, Mrs Nyiva Mwendwa, Mr Mwangu Ivuti, Mr Mutinda Mutiso, Mr Gideon Ndambuki and Deputy Speaker Mr David Musila.
And accompanying Raila were MPs Mr William Ruto, Mr Najib Balala, Mr Joe Nyagah, Mr Kipkalia Kones, Mr William ole Ntimama, Mr Omingo Magara, Mr Henry Kosgey, Prof Anyang' Nyong'o and fellow presidential aspirant Mr Musalia Mudavadi.
The two factions had been locked in a bitter feud for the leadership of ODM-Kenya.
True owners
Imanyara said they were surrendering the party to its "true owners". He turned over ODM party instruments - the party registration certificate, constitution and the party symbol of a ripe orange - to Raila at 1pm, who in turn handed them over to new party chairman Kosgey half-an-hour later after a brief address.
Nyong'o and Magara assumed the posts of secretary-general and treasurer respectively, the same positions they held in ODM-Kenya.
Immediately the group took charge of ODM, they announced that the party would hold its special NDC on September 1, which is expected to pick the party's flag bearer.
The NEC, through a resolution read by Nyong'o, also resolved that membership to the party would be individual and not corporate.
Imanyara appeared to throw snippets at Kalonzo for his stranglehold on ODM-Kenya, saying the move was a cropper.
"It is time for the architects of doom who thought they could run away with the Orange movement to get a rude awakening. The future of Kenya is Orange," said Imanyara.
Imanyara challenged the ODM presidential hopefuls to put aside their differences and steer the party to power as he forthrightly drummed up support for Raila's candidature.
"We have come to the realisation that the people of Kenya recognise Raila as the undisputed leader and face of the Orange movement and accept that he is the best qualified individual to be the next president of Kenya," said Imanyara to loud cheers from supporters.
"We had no ill-motive when we registered ODM. We did it in anticipation that other Kenyans would join us to fight for democratic freedom and our handing over the party to its true owners has proved we had no malice."
However, all the other four presidential aspirants - Ruto, Balala, Nyagah and Mudavadi - steered clear of the issue of picking the ODM presidential candidate or endorsing Raila.
But Imanyara described Raila as a visionary leader who brokered dialogue by "inviting me for a cup of tea" that led to the historic changeover.
"I didn't know him but I made it my business to know him. I realised he was a committed Kenyan whose actions were not motivated by greed."
Both Raila and Imanyara maintained that no money changed hands when the deal was struck. The Lang'ata MP declared he was proud to be associated with the party. "ODM is not a piece of paper held by Maanzo and neither does it belong to the Registrar or the courts," he said.
Balala said: "The non-reformers have chosen to leave because they could not withstand the test of democracy."
Ruto said Imanyara's gesture was a lesson to the Orange team that they would be expected "to make personal sacrifices" for the party to form the next government.
"Not even an army can stop an idea whose time has come," declared Ruto. "Our detractors can't stop Kenyans from bringing into power an ODM government."
Mudavadi hailed the move, saying it would ensure that the "Orange dream is not destroyed".
"I assure our supporters that the state of confusion that had pervaded our political landscape is over. The circus in courts should not distract us from our goal to win the coming elections," said Mudavadi.
Nyagah said the action by Imanyara, whom he noted hailed from Central Kenya, had transcended ethnic barriers and was testimony that patriotism was alive.
"I am confident that millions of other people in Central Kenya would vote for ODM."
Kosgey said the list of delegates submitted to the Secretariat by the National Election Board (NEB) would be used for the NDC.
"All the ODM-Kenya branches have been transformed into ODM branches and this is how we are going to have our delegates for the special NDC," he said. Asked whether Kalonzo was still welcome in ODM, he quipped: "Only fools don't change their minds."
- Report by Alex Ndegwa, Ayub Savula, Mutinda Mwanzia and Daniel Nzia
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