UDA, ODM Clash over West Kabras Candidature

By Wakhungu Andaje

United democratic alliance (UDA) leadership in Malava has criticized the move by a section of Orange democratic movement (ODM) to field a candidate to vie for the West Kabras Mca position.

Led by Malava Mp David Ndakwa, the leaders have stated that it was against the broad based government mutual agreement terming the move as hypocrisy of the highest order.

Ndakwa was addressing the Media after escorting their (UDA) candidate for the seat Elphas Kainanga Shalakha who presented his papers to seek the independent electoral boundaries commission (IEBC) clearance to vie for the West Kabras ward seat.

The Mp faulted a section of (ODM) leaders who were going behind the broad based arrangement and fielding their candidate (Edward Inzofu Indumuli) and challenged them to declare their true allegiance and stop being political turncoats who sing broad based government during the day and yet plot against it at night.

Let them come out clearly and tell us whom are they serving for what we know that we are in a pact with ODM and the bonafide county (ODM) party chairman Fernandez Barasa had announced that they were supporting the (UDA) candidate for the seat as part of the two parties cohesion between (UDA) and (ODM).

The leaders expressed concerns over the manner in which the section of the ODM affiliated to a rebel faction led by Wycliffe Oparanya and Nabii Nabwera was causing confusion and anarchy in the smooth running of the West Kabras by election and county party affairs at large.

He said it was time the (ODM) by declaring openly the rightful office bearers and also declare their true stand on the place in the broad based government.

“We agreed that since we are working together to achieve a common goal in 2027 of re-electing President William Ruto for his second term, in return that (ODM), is also included in the formation of the government, but with what we are witnessing now it seems that also at the county level we have a rift among the (ODM) leaders with some supporting broad based while others have turned out to be political rebels who are working against the realization of the broad based agenda.

Ndakwa said the west Kabras seat which he initially held will be delivered to the government through their candidate Elphas Kainanga Shalakha.

He warned the generic ODM team in Malava constituency that their deeds to test the popularity of UDA in Malava ahead of 2027 that they will meet the full force of broad based during the by election as they will lose terribly.

The ODM bonafide officials from West Kabras led by Buhuru Lutawa Chimatuni organizing secretary ODM Malava branch and Juma Harun rubbished the splinter group as not genuine and should not be entertained and dismissed the (ODM) cleared candidate Edward Inzofu that he was an imposter trying to wreck the broad based formation for their own personal benefits.

“This are the original ODM officials who are supporting the only one broad based candidate who is Shalakha and any other candidate is not recognized and should be put to task to explain who authorized him to contest as there is only one candidate (UDA AND ODM ) agreed to support ”Juma stated.

He warned those few individuals bringing confusion and division in the party that soon they will be held accountable as the party through its party leader Oburu Odinga, and Kakamega county chairman Fernandez Barasa was strong and strongly behind the UDA candidate.

The UDA followers also wanted the ODM TO categorically state their stand as far as the West Kabras by election is concerned rather than blowing both hot and cold on the issue.

“It is high time the President should know who are with him in ODM and he should take action to clean house ahead of the 2027 general polls but for the West Kabras seat which I held under for two terms under (ANC /UDA) we are going to retain the position completely” concluded Ndakwa.