MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov 16 — Political parties in Kenya have many lessons to learn from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), President William Ruto has said.
The President pointed out that ODM had remained a strong movement in the past 20 years because it had risen above personality, regional and tribal politics, retaining its presence and vibrancy in every part of the country.
He noted that strong national political parties are the foundation of democracy, without which there cannot be a strong democratic state.
Speaking at the ODM Founders Dinner during the party’s three day, 20th anniversary celebration in Mombasa County on Saturday evening, he congratulated ODM for its resilience over the past two decades.
“I have come here to celebrate ODM as a strong party, not a briefcase party, not a regional party, but a national party,” he said.
The President noted that celebrating ODM as a national political party inspires other political parties in the country that it is possible to rise above tribalism and build a movement based on ideology.
Present at the colourful event were ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, and deputy party leaders Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir and Simba Arati, who are also the governors of Mombasa and Kisii respectively, and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.
Others were Governors Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu) and Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), former ODM deputy party leaders and now Cabinet Secretaries Ali Hassan Joho (Mining and Blue Economy) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Cooperatives and MSMEs), among others.
Political tolerance
President Ruto urged Kenyans to exercise political tolerance and remember that political competition is not enmity, saying Mr Raila Odinga, the late former Prime Minister and founding party leader of ODM, had shown that it was possible to rise above political competition and reach out across the political aisle for the sake of Kenya.
“That’s how Mr Raila Odinga was able to work with Presidents (Daniel) Moi, (Mwai) Kibaki, Uhuru (Kenyatta) and myself even though they were competitors,” he explained.
The President urged the leadership of ODM to uphold its legacy of a strong united national party in honour of Mr Odinga.
He appealed to the leaders and members of ODM not to allow disagreements within the party to lead to disintegration.
“I urge the people who now have the reins of the management of this party not to undermine the spirit of ODM,” he said.
President Ruto described Mr Odinga as a leader who always placed the country’s interests first and whose legacy will live on.
“Raila Odinga was not a tribalist. He believed in Kenya. He always extended his wings to cover as many people as possible,” he said.
The President said his political journey had deep roots in ODM, where he was not only a founding member, but also a deputy party leader.
Share agenda
He called on ODM members to continue working with the broad-based government so that they continue implementing their shared agenda, noting that the manifestos of the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and ODM are up to 80 per cent similar.
“We have the same agenda. If you read the manifestos of ODM and UDA, the difference is maybe only 20 per cent. Let us therefore forge forward,” he said.
On their part, members of the ODM party vowed to continue working with the government under the broad-based government.
Oburu said the ODM party will work with the government to implement policies that the party believes in, noting that there was no party in the world which is formed to be in the opposition.
He explained that working with the government to achieve the desired change is a smarter choice compared to street protests advocated by some of its members.
“All political parties aspire to be in government. Our party [is] not excluded. Our party is fighting to be in the government in the broad-based arrangement now and in future as ODM or in coalition with other political parties,” he said.
National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohammed said Mr Odinga left ODM in the broad-based government and that they would continue to be in it for the good of the country.
“We want to be in power; we do not want to [be] in the streets,” he said.
Mohammed said ODM will ensure the government works for the people of Kenya and continues to hold it accountable in Parliament.
Founding ODM Chairman Henry Kosgey commended the party for 20 years as a strong party, saying it was a remarkable achievement.
ODM partnerships
He called on ODM to stay in the broad-based government, noting that Kenya’s success was tied to the country’s unity.
“Let us stay together as one nation,” he said.
Governor Wanga called on ODM to remain united if it is to survive the next 20 years, noting that the party had been built on partnerships such as the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) of 2013, the National Super Alliance (NASA) of 2017 and Azimio la Umoja in 2022.
“As we move into the future, we must continue building partnerships with people who [are] like-minded so that we can move together. We cannot walk alone,” she said.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, and the longest serving chairman of ODM, called on members to honour Mr Odinga’s legacy, noting that he believed in dialogue.
He reminded ODM members calling for street protests that there is value in dialogue.
Joho reminded ODM party members that Mr Odinga worked with Presidents Moi, Kibaki Uhuru and Ruto, demonstrating that he believed in partnerships.
Governor Nyong’o said ODM at 20 is a story of the party’s journey of resilience, born out of the fight against a bad constitution in 2005, injustice, unfair governance and desire for people-centred government.
