The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has fired a warning shot at Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa urging him to cease public criticism of the Orange party’s Central Committee decision on the leadership wrangles at the County Assembly.

In a statement dated September 16, 2024, ODM’s Deputy Party Leader, Godfrey Osotsi, expressed concern over the governor’s recent conduct following a meeting of the Central Committee held on September 11, 2024.

ODM had met to deliberate on issues within Kakamega County, specifically addressing the tensions surrounding the county assembly’s leadership.

“The Central Committee of ODM met on September 11, 2024, to deliberate on various matters including the situation in Kakamega County and specifically the leadership row at the Assembly. It was a resolution of the committee that the County Governor, Speaker of the Assembly and the former majority leader Hon Maina must immediately cease frustrating members of the Assembly and implement the recommendations of the party on the leadership question,” ODM said in the statement signed by the Vihiga county senator.

“Following communication of this resolution we have seen unwarranted attacks on the Central Committee and Senior officials of the Party by the Governor and his acolytes at funerals, media and other public gatherings.”

ODM on respect

ODM further warned all their members to always respect the party organs and abide by their decisions.

Governor Barasa’s actions have been termed as disrespect to ODM party leader Raila Odinga, who chairs the Central Committee.

ODM further urged Governor Barasa to cease and desist from disparaging the party, as he awaits his date with its committee to argue his case.

“All members of the party are expected to show respect for Party Organs and abide by their decisions and desist from disparaging the Party Organs and especially one as high up in ranks as the Central Committee which is chaired by non other than the Party Leader Rt. Hon Raila Odinga,” the statement read.

“Governor Barasa has already been invited to make his case before the same organ he is now disparaging and this does not bode well for the proper resolution of the matters in question. My advice to the Governor is that he ceases and desists from this unbecoming behavior and await his date with the committee where he will be offered an opportunity to give his version.”

Statement by DPL @HonSenOsotsi on the impasse at the Kakamega County Assembly. pic.twitter.com/oXr03oFvuD

— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) September 16, 2024

Governor Barasa summoned

The ODM top organ had summoned Governor Barasa, County Assembly Speaker James Namatsi and former Majority Leader Philip Maina over wrangles in the assembly leadership.

ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, said the three have been frustrating a decision of the party to replace Maina with Geoffrey Ondiro as the majority leader.

The summons follows a petition filed by ODM MCAs to the Central Management Committee regarding the reorganisation of assembly committees by Maina.

The ward reps petitioned the top decision-making organ of the party on the grounds that the right procedures were not followed in reshuffling the committees, with a bias to remove those perceived to be unfriendly to the governor from assembly leadership.

“The party insists that forthwith, the speaker must implement its directives and, further, that all purported changes to committee membership/leadership be and are hereby revoked,” Sifuna said.