Post by Leo Odera Omolo on Feb 10, 2010 2:05:13 GMT 3
By Leo Odera Omolo
Discontentment is brewing up inside Luo-Nyanza following the disclosure that Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga is being accused for having allegedly favoured his relatives and friends as well as the financial heavyweight Luos in the recent cabinet appointment to the grand coalition government.
The ODM supreme leader is therefore being accused of practicing nepotism and sectarianism in his recent role in the appointment of the bloated cabinet.
“People who deserves such appointments were sidelined and their positions taken over by relatives and those Luos whose pockets are heavily lined up with bank notes,” remarked an MP from the larger southern Nyanza who preferred to maintain his anonymity.
The good example of the wealthy individuals securing plum jobs and getting favouritism from Raila is the case of Mr. Caroli Omondi a former banker and a lawyer from gwassi constituency in Suba district. The latter had contested the election in gwassi constituency, but was trounced during the ODM preliminaries. He had performed poorly and dismally at the polls.
Mr Omondi was appointed the administration permanent secretary in the office of the prime minister to the chagrins of other election loser in Gwassi. The secret behind Mr. Omondi’s appointment is that he is the landlord who owns the building in the posh Kilimani surburbs of Nairobi, which is housing Raila’s Pentagon Office.
Another good example of nepotism is the naming of Prof. Jacquiline Oduol who was unsuccessful candidate in Alego-Usonga constituency in Siaya district and lost to a Mombasa business tycoon Edwin Ochieng Yinda during the party,s preliminaries. Prof. Oduol according to an impeccable source hails from Alego Mur, but she is married to Raila odinga’s uncle in Kaka sub-clan, the home of Raila’s late mother mama Mary Odinga. This particular appointment has also attracted severest criticism. But although the people involved in these appointments were highly qualified for the jobs as far as their academic background are concern, but the criteria in which they were chosen leaves a lot to be desired..
The ministerial appointment of Raila’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga did not attract any criticism as many people thought the bondo legislator deserves the job of being an Assistant Minister to the Treasury.
Another appointment which has raised eyebrows is that of Eng. Carey Orege, who hails from Raila Odinga own sub-clan of Kowak in the larger Sakwa clan this particular appointment is considered as part of Raila ‘s nepotism, and has elicited scathing criticism from Luo intellectuals and politician alike..
The other centre of controversy is the appointmentr of Mr. phillip Onyango Sika as the PS in the Ministry of Metropolitan development. The new PS hails from gem constituency also in Siaya amnd is the relative of the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo whose mother is the younger sister of Raila Odinga’s mother.
The only popular appointment by Raila according to political pundits inside Luo-Nyanza is those of james Aggrey Orengo, the new Mino\ister for Land and Settlement and that of the veteran rongo politician Dalmas Otieno. The two men, according to the popular saying making the round deserves their ministerial positions owing to their wealth of experience and consistency plus total loyality to Agwambo and the ODM party.
Many people had expected Raila to pick up for covenanted appointment his principal assistamnt for many years Prof. Larry Gumbe who has all along headed ther thin-a-tank group of intellectuals-cum-politicians ast the ODM headquarters.
The common saying that now goes around is that because prof Gumbe hails from Karachuonyo in Rachuonyo district in the greater south Nyanza, and that his late father a former Mayor of Kisumu had some kind of disagreement with Raila’s late father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the disagreement is said to have come as a result of the old dark days when the late Jaramogi was placed under house arrest and therafter the government restrictions that he should only leave his Milimani House and drive straight to his Bondo rural home, but not to drive within Kisumu streets without prior permission from the Nyanza provincial Administrastion.The late Gumbe and the late jaramogi are said to have bumped on each other at a round-about in Kisumu streets and had exchanged harsh words in connection with his restriction requirements.
Prof Gumbe, says Raila’s critics had served ODM deligently from the days of NDP and LDP and eventually Narc and now ODM and therefore should have been considered for any of the PSs appointments.
Another appoinmtmentr which has stunned many people is the relegation of the Ndhiwa outspoken MP and long time closed political associate of Raila, Joshua Orwa Ojodeh, the man who had turned down a Ministerial appointment offered by president Kibaki in early 2006 following the dessolution of the Narc Cabinet by the president as the result oif devastative defeat of the government during the referendum voting against the rejected Wako Constitutional Draft in November 2005.
Ojodeh who was then serving as an assistant minister was the only Luo MP offered the cabinet position following the restructuring of the new cabinet by president Kibaki after he had dismissed the rebel ODM Ministers, Raila Odinga included. But ojodeh declined the appointment in solidarity with his friend Raila and other ODM luminaries. People had high expectation that Raila Odinga would have rewarded him with a plum ministerial posts. But instead he was made an assistant minister in the Minister of internal Securiuty and Provincial Administration, which he reluctantlty accepted after heavy pressure and persuasions from his friends and relatives.. The common saying is that Otieno Kajwang should have been appointed an assistant Minister while Ojodeh get the full ministerial position
Ojodeh’s wooes is said to have culminated from his disagreement with Raila’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga, the MP for Bondo, who at one time attacked Ojodeh publicly during a funeral gathering in Kanjita village West Karachuonyo in Rachuonyo district. It was during the burial of the late Mama Phoebe Rege, the step mother of the Karachuonyo MP Eng James Rege, when Oburu from the blue moon burst into scatching criticism of Ojodeh before a large crown of mourners who also included his brother Raila., and Raila did not utter a word.
The funeral was tension charged due to the prevailing local politics in karachuonyo, which had pittied the former area MP Dr Adhu witi and eng. Rege.
Also the appointment of Dr. Nyikal a former director of medical services in Kenya who hails from Seme in the Kisumu rural constituency, was seen as a reward to the ODM Secretary general Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o the MP for the area Dr Nyikal and Prof Nyong;o are said to be related.
Critics blame Raila for having ignored Migori, Rachuonyo, Kisumu and Nandio districts only concentrating with appointment of people from Siaya and Bondo districts something which could have serious repercussions as far as Raila’s popularity in Luo Nyanza is concern with the next general elections the year 2012.
Leoderaomolo@yahoo.com.
Discontentment is brewing up inside Luo-Nyanza following the disclosure that Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga is being accused for having allegedly favoured his relatives and friends as well as the financial heavyweight Luos in the recent cabinet appointment to the grand coalition government.
The ODM supreme leader is therefore being accused of practicing nepotism and sectarianism in his recent role in the appointment of the bloated cabinet.
“People who deserves such appointments were sidelined and their positions taken over by relatives and those Luos whose pockets are heavily lined up with bank notes,” remarked an MP from the larger southern Nyanza who preferred to maintain his anonymity.
The good example of the wealthy individuals securing plum jobs and getting favouritism from Raila is the case of Mr. Caroli Omondi a former banker and a lawyer from gwassi constituency in Suba district. The latter had contested the election in gwassi constituency, but was trounced during the ODM preliminaries. He had performed poorly and dismally at the polls.
Mr Omondi was appointed the administration permanent secretary in the office of the prime minister to the chagrins of other election loser in Gwassi. The secret behind Mr. Omondi’s appointment is that he is the landlord who owns the building in the posh Kilimani surburbs of Nairobi, which is housing Raila’s Pentagon Office.
Another good example of nepotism is the naming of Prof. Jacquiline Oduol who was unsuccessful candidate in Alego-Usonga constituency in Siaya district and lost to a Mombasa business tycoon Edwin Ochieng Yinda during the party,s preliminaries. Prof. Oduol according to an impeccable source hails from Alego Mur, but she is married to Raila odinga’s uncle in Kaka sub-clan, the home of Raila’s late mother mama Mary Odinga. This particular appointment has also attracted severest criticism. But although the people involved in these appointments were highly qualified for the jobs as far as their academic background are concern, but the criteria in which they were chosen leaves a lot to be desired..
The ministerial appointment of Raila’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga did not attract any criticism as many people thought the bondo legislator deserves the job of being an Assistant Minister to the Treasury.
Another appointment which has raised eyebrows is that of Eng. Carey Orege, who hails from Raila Odinga own sub-clan of Kowak in the larger Sakwa clan this particular appointment is considered as part of Raila ‘s nepotism, and has elicited scathing criticism from Luo intellectuals and politician alike..
The other centre of controversy is the appointmentr of Mr. phillip Onyango Sika as the PS in the Ministry of Metropolitan development. The new PS hails from gem constituency also in Siaya amnd is the relative of the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo whose mother is the younger sister of Raila Odinga’s mother.
The only popular appointment by Raila according to political pundits inside Luo-Nyanza is those of james Aggrey Orengo, the new Mino\ister for Land and Settlement and that of the veteran rongo politician Dalmas Otieno. The two men, according to the popular saying making the round deserves their ministerial positions owing to their wealth of experience and consistency plus total loyality to Agwambo and the ODM party.
Many people had expected Raila to pick up for covenanted appointment his principal assistamnt for many years Prof. Larry Gumbe who has all along headed ther thin-a-tank group of intellectuals-cum-politicians ast the ODM headquarters.
The common saying that now goes around is that because prof Gumbe hails from Karachuonyo in Rachuonyo district in the greater south Nyanza, and that his late father a former Mayor of Kisumu had some kind of disagreement with Raila’s late father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the disagreement is said to have come as a result of the old dark days when the late Jaramogi was placed under house arrest and therafter the government restrictions that he should only leave his Milimani House and drive straight to his Bondo rural home, but not to drive within Kisumu streets without prior permission from the Nyanza provincial Administrastion.The late Gumbe and the late jaramogi are said to have bumped on each other at a round-about in Kisumu streets and had exchanged harsh words in connection with his restriction requirements.
Prof Gumbe, says Raila’s critics had served ODM deligently from the days of NDP and LDP and eventually Narc and now ODM and therefore should have been considered for any of the PSs appointments.
Another appoinmtmentr which has stunned many people is the relegation of the Ndhiwa outspoken MP and long time closed political associate of Raila, Joshua Orwa Ojodeh, the man who had turned down a Ministerial appointment offered by president Kibaki in early 2006 following the dessolution of the Narc Cabinet by the president as the result oif devastative defeat of the government during the referendum voting against the rejected Wako Constitutional Draft in November 2005.
Ojodeh who was then serving as an assistant minister was the only Luo MP offered the cabinet position following the restructuring of the new cabinet by president Kibaki after he had dismissed the rebel ODM Ministers, Raila Odinga included. But ojodeh declined the appointment in solidarity with his friend Raila and other ODM luminaries. People had high expectation that Raila Odinga would have rewarded him with a plum ministerial posts. But instead he was made an assistant minister in the Minister of internal Securiuty and Provincial Administration, which he reluctantlty accepted after heavy pressure and persuasions from his friends and relatives.. The common saying is that Otieno Kajwang should have been appointed an assistant Minister while Ojodeh get the full ministerial position
Ojodeh’s wooes is said to have culminated from his disagreement with Raila’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga, the MP for Bondo, who at one time attacked Ojodeh publicly during a funeral gathering in Kanjita village West Karachuonyo in Rachuonyo district. It was during the burial of the late Mama Phoebe Rege, the step mother of the Karachuonyo MP Eng James Rege, when Oburu from the blue moon burst into scatching criticism of Ojodeh before a large crown of mourners who also included his brother Raila., and Raila did not utter a word.
The funeral was tension charged due to the prevailing local politics in karachuonyo, which had pittied the former area MP Dr Adhu witi and eng. Rege.
Also the appointment of Dr. Nyikal a former director of medical services in Kenya who hails from Seme in the Kisumu rural constituency, was seen as a reward to the ODM Secretary general Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o the MP for the area Dr Nyikal and Prof Nyong;o are said to be related.
Critics blame Raila for having ignored Migori, Rachuonyo, Kisumu and Nandio districts only concentrating with appointment of people from Siaya and Bondo districts something which could have serious repercussions as far as Raila’s popularity in Luo Nyanza is concern with the next general elections the year 2012.
Leoderaomolo@yahoo.com.