Emman Omari
15 August 2007
column
Nairobi — The die is cast.
The political rat race is over as Lang'ata MP Raila Odinga and Mwingi North MP Kalonzo Musyoka have split the Orange into two halves.
They are running away with the halves in a manner reminiscent of the split that occurred in the original Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford) ahead of the 1992 General Election.
Then, one group went with the Muthithi House faction of veteran politician Kenneth Matiba while the other remained at Agip House of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Raila's father.
This time round, the split separates the Kusyombunguo Accord where Orange Democratic Movement Kenya was born in Lukenya from the Kisumu Accord.
It was in Kisumu during the anti-Constitution Orange rally where Mvita MP Najib Balala revealed an ODM party would be formed after the 2005 referendum results.
It is interesting that fate has put Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka yet again on opposite sides.
When Ford split, Mr Musyoka was among the diehard Kanu politicians who wanted the then strong Opposition scattered to enable retired President Moi retain power.
Mr Odinga was in opposition where his father and Mr Matiba were competing to go to State House.
And now, Mr Musyoka and Mr Odinga find themselves on a similar competing level - they all want to be on the ballot paper in December in a bid to go to State House.
Too early
It is too early to predict if the split in the Orange will favour President Kibaki on whichever party he will defend the presidency as more re-alignments are bound to happen before the December elections.
But it will still remain a big puzzle on the roles played by two lawyers - Mr Daniel Maanzo, who is the owner of Kusyombunguo (translated from Kikamba to mean the owner of the key) and Mr Milton Mugambi Imanyara.
Mr Maanzo is the registered chairman of ODM-K while Mr Imanyara, who handed the ODM party to the Odinga group yesterday, is the owner of the party.
What is intriguing is that Mr Imanyara rushed to register ODM soon after the November 21, 2005, referendum results and every politician in the Orange campaign feigned ignorance.
They even fought battles with Mr Imanyara when he tried to resist registration of ODM-K.
What was puzzling yesterday is that Mr Imanyara was beaming with exuberance as he handed over the party. He argued that he was returning ODM to the rightful owners.
It is difficult to tell whether Mr Musyoka and Mr Odinga were eating from the same plate with hidden knives under their jackets.
But it is also mind-boggling whether or not the two lawyers were decoys of some powerful political forces who went back to the drawing board after the Government suffered defeat at the hands of the Orange in the referendum.
What is clear is that two forces have emerged from the Orange to face President Kibaki and analysts will now be assessing their strengths.
Only time will tell if Mr Musyoka would become another Cabinet minister Simeon Nyachae who bolted from Narc to vie on his own and came a distant third.
It will be interesting to watch the campaign in a three-horse race pitying Kibaki, Raila and Musyoka on the ballot paper.
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