Kenyan Newspapers Review, July 29: Oburu Oginga Warns Edwin Sifuna, Hints at Possible Ejection
The Kenyan newspapers on Tuesday, July 29, reported on a range of topics, with the division in the ODM party getting prominence across the pages.
Education is Your Right! Don’t Let Social Norms Hold You Back. Learn Online with TUKO. Enroll Now!
Source: UGC
Still in ODM, the party's secretary general is facing pressure as rankling stalwarts hint at his exit following his strong stance against the partnership between his party and the President William Ruto-led UDA.
1. Taifa Leo
The newspaper reported on the infighting within the ODM party.
The party's top brass is slated for a meeting today to deliberate on the way forward, as members differ on the memorandum of understanding with UDA.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
The Nairobi senator and secretary general Edwin Sifuna is expected to face his critics within the party during the meeting chaired by party leader Raila Odinga.
Raila is expected to present the party's vision, as some leaders are calling for Sifuna to be ousted.
Sifuna stirred the hornet's nest after declaring the pact with UDA as dead, and declaring his displeasure with the broad-based arrangement.
In the face of the harsh criticism against the Nairobi senator, Raila came out to defend him, stating that he (Sifuna) has the right to air his opinions.
However, despite Raila's pronouncement, a section of the members is still pushing for Sifuna's ouster.
Siaya senator Oburu Oginga is leading the pack.
He said they are tired of Sifuna asking him to leave ODM instead of sparking internal battles.
Oburu stated that as much as the secretary general is entitled to his opinion, he ought to respect the position of the party.
"Raila said in Kakamega that Sifuna has his right, I also have my right, and our working partnership with the government is the decision of ODM and not one person."
He warned that Sifuna might be ejected in the same manner as his predecessor, Ababu Namwamba.
"We cannot have a party secretary-general who thinks he is superior, he is full of pride and I cannot accept or follow his statement. If he thinks he is superior, then he should consult Ababu Namwamba so that he understands what has happened to him. Sifuna should leave ODM," said Oburu.
According to the Siaya senator, his Nairobi counterpart is living off the popularity of the Orange party, and without it, he would become irrelevant in Kenya's politics.
Oburu said the Tuesday meeting's resolutions are what the party members would abide by.
2. People Daily
People Daily reported on the move by ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna to challenge the nomination of Harold Kipchumba as CS John Mbadi's replacement in the National Assembly.
According to Sifuna, the relevant provisions of the constitution indicate that the next in line to replace Mbadi is John Ketora, the leader of the ODM youth league.
The secretary general wrote to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) seeking the revocation of the gazettement of Kipchumba as the nominated MP to replace Mbadi.
"We submit John Ketora to be allocated the vacant seat as the male Member of the National Assembly in the place of John Mbadi to represent workers. Ketora is the next in line in our party list in the category of workers and the same gender," said Sifuna.
Kipchumba had been gazetted by IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon as the nominated member, which was seen as a win for PWDs.
Sifuna protested the gazette notice, arguing that Ketora is the rightful candidate for the post.
"Kindly proceed to allocate the party's seat as a male member of the National Assembly representing workers in accordance with Section 37 (1) of the Elections Act to John Ketora," read Sifuna's letter to Ethekon.
The seat fell vacant after Mbadi was nominated to the Cabinet as the National Treasury CS.
3. Daily Nation
The newspaper reported on the move to recall Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris.
The IEBC has started the process to review the petition to remove the lawmaker.
The petition was presented by four activists, who accuse Passaris of failing to faithfully represent the interests of Nairobi residents.
They accuse her of aligning with the regime in power and supporting legislation deemed to be anti-people.
Her bill seeking to bar protests in certain areas is among the grounds of the activists' petition.
The petitioners also argue that Passaris never showed initiative to agitate for the rights of women in the wake of killings and, recently, sexual assaults during protests.
Passaris is also accused of misleading the public on the legislative agenda of the National Assembly and a lack of accountability regarding the budgetary allocations.
It is now in the place of the IEBC to determine whether the petition meets the legal threshold.
If the petition is approved, the activists will be required to collect at least 750,000 signatures, representing 30% of the Nairobi electorate.
These signatures must also reflect support from at least 15% of voters in at least half of Nairobi's wards.
The IEBC will then have 30 days to verify the signatures; if successful, the IEBC will address the petition to the National Assembly, whose speaker will call an election for the recall within 90 days.
Passaris will then lose her seat should 50% of the Nairobi electorate vote in favour of the recall.
4. The Standard
The newspaper reported on the trial of Police Constable Klinzy Barasa, who is accused of killing Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor in Nairobi.
The interdicted officer was arraigned in a Nairobi court on Monday, July 28, and charged with murder.
He pleaded not guilty before Justice Kanyi Kimondo.
His lawyers, led by Felix Kiton, asked the court to release him as there was no compelling reason to continue his detention.
However, the Chief Prosecutor Vincent Monda and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) vehemently opposed the argument.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
