ODM organ meets to fill positions left by ministers

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has called a top organ of the party meeting ostensibly to fill in the vacant positions left by those named in to the Kenya Kwanza government as Cabinet Secretaries.

Raila will this morning chair the Central Committee meeting, an organ of the party that will nominate key officials to take over on interim basis following the vacancies in the deputy party position, National Chairman and Political Affairs Secretary.

Sources intimated to People Daily that current Secretary General Edwin Sifuna is poised to take one of the two Deputy Party Leadership position with the other going to Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff.

Former Governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) served as Raila’s two deputies before they were picked to join President William Ruto’s Cabinet.

Prior to today’s meeting which is a mere formality, the two seats had attracted political heavyweights Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), her counterparts Gideon Mungaro (Kilifi), Simba Arati (Kisii), Paul Otuoma (Busia) and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi.

Sources intimated to People Daily that questions of loyalty and fidelity to the party were some of the considerations the party honchos are looking into the selection of those to fill in the vacant positions, a move that has come to haunt Otuoma and Mungaro.

Even though Otuoma has never defected from the party, he was being perceived to be close to President Ruto even before the rapprochement and political deal between the Orange party and United Democratic Alliance. According to an insider who did not wish to be named, said that should the Nairobi Senator be appointed one of the Deputy party leaders, then the post for the Secretary General should be given to the Vihiga lawmaker