By The Weekly Vision
Speculations are rife that Muhoroni MP Onyango K’Oyoo could be on his way out of the ODM party to work with President William Ruto. Mr K’Oyoo is a third-term MP, he has not always been in good working teams with ODM leader Raila Odinga, the President’s closest political allies from Luo Nyanza are said to be behind the move.
The man said to have been given the mandate to lure him out of ODM is former Nairobi Governor Dr Evans Kidero. Dr Kidero and Mr K’Oyoo are buddies, the two have been close since the days of Kidero’s stint as MD of Mumias Sugar. Sources say that Dr Kidero has been in constant talks with K’Oyoo to have him jump ship although details of the talks remain scanty, the two are said to have met severally with the main agenda being the defection of Mr K’Oyoo. The MPs’ nomination in successive elections under the ODM party has always been controversial. In 2013, when he sensed that the party’s nominations process was pre-determined, he left and vied through the PDP party ticket, he defeated ODM’s Prof. Ayiecho Olweny. During the 2017 elections, he run on the ODM ticket against Prof. Olweny, he was not the party’s choice he non the less emerged as the winner.
Prof. Ayiecho protested and even moved to the party’s appeals board, the matter ended up at the Supreme Court where the Judges dismissed his case. At a special sitting convened on a Sunday, it was heard by Chief Justice David Maraga, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Justices Mohammed Ibrahim, Smokin Wanjala and Isaac Lenaola. The five-judge bench found that the application was incompetent and could be not granted. “It seems to us an injunction as sought by Prof Olweny cannot be granted in circumstances where Mr K’oyoo has already been gazetted and is on the ballot paper as confirmed by counsel for IEBC Paul Nyamodi,” stated CJ Maraga, who read the verdict.
Prof. Olweny, through lawyer Roger Sagana, had argued that the nomination certificate was wrongly given to Mr K’Oyoo on the basis that the results from five wards were not included in the final tally. During the previous general elections, again K’Oyoo was not the party’s choice. There were rumours that party leader Raila Odinga favoured Eng. Hezron McObewa lost to Mr K’Oyoo. However, the tribunal nullified K’Oyoo’s nomination that year after McObewa challenged the results citing irregularities.
K’Oyoo’s supporters held serious demonstrations forcing Raila to intervene to have K’Oyoo given a nomination certificate and went ahead to win the elections. K’Oyoo has been missing in most ODM and Azimio activities including participating in “maandamano” called by Mr Odinga. His absence has raised eyebrows making his constituents think that he has abandoned them.
