ODM official reveals next step in removing Wetangula
James Orengo could soon replace Wetangula as Senate Minority leader
Former Kitutu Masaba MP Timothy Bosire, who serves as the party Treasurer in an article published on Friday in a local daily, revealed that the scheme was to solidify the ground by ODM in the Western region.
The former lawmaker also explained that the party has taken up the matter which was pushed back to it by the Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, to initiate the democratic process of choosing Mr Orengo to replace Mr Wetangula, a Nasa co-principal.
“When ODM wrote to the Speaker they had good reasons. It is not final and it is going to the floor for all leaders to discuss,” he said.
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He added: “This will make ODM not lose its popularity and support in Western Kenya. The leaders from Western will represent the people of Western on the House floor and their decisions will bind all the people in Western.”
Mr Bosire quipped that the Bungoma Senator served the same position for the last five years and that it will be misleading of him to accuse the ODM party of witch hand, even as the Ford Kenya Deputy party leader Boni Khalwale told off ODM to relinquish Public Investment Committee and Public Account Committee chair positions in lieu of the Minority leader job.
“Kenyans are more informed to make the correct decisions. In the last Parliament, Wetang’ula was the Minority representative and represented everyone freely.”
“Right now he [Wetangula] is alone in the Senate. Changes can be made and let us not feed any lies to the people,” he said.
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Messy breakup
On Thursday, the Raila Odinga led Orange Democratic Movement officially initiated the process of axing Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula form the Senate Minority leader post.
In a rejoinder, however, Mr Wetang'ula vowed to go down fighting, warning ODM, which has 20 senators against the combined seven of other NASA affiliate parties - Amani National Congress (ANC), Ford Kenya and Wiper - that there will be political consequences for his removal.
“If you want divorce, it will be messy, noisy and not easy," Wetang'ula declared in the Senate yesterday, when the plot to oust him was made public.
Wetang'ula on Thursday evening lashed out at ODM, daring the party to replace him.
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He also dismissed any notion ODM holds a majority in NASA, insisting that the parties recognised in the Senate are the Opposition coalition, Jubilee, Kanu, Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) and one independent member.
“That majority of 15 is not a majority in law. It is a majority of a section of the coalition. For legitimacy, I am telling my colleagues, I am going nowhere. I was not invited in NASA. I am a founder of NASA and also a founder of CORD (Coalition for Reforms and Democracy),” he affirmed.
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