Fireworks At Wananchi Pavilion
The much awaited illegal ODM-KS ”Emergency member’s” meeting at Wananchi Pavillion was a big fiasko. The Committee meeting ended as planned but when time for the ”member’s meeting” came, those who were present turned out to have been members who were supporting the Committee being led by Mrs Hellen Opwapo, the Chairlady. They had come as observers. There was “Fireworks” as wenyefitina were shouted down by members who called for elections.
Over 20 ODM-KS members attended the meeting. Out of this crowd, non was on the side of the two Committee members (Munala and Odhiambo Opee Jr) who had called the meeting and it was a big shame.
Clay Onyango and Jasper Orieny attended the meeting although it was not clear which side they were. Clay has been attending both Narc Kenya and ODM-KS meetings. There was no attempt to throw Clay out because nobody was interested in his presence.
Those who were in the opposition were four namely: Dancan Munala, Sofia Njoroge (ODM-KS Treasurer), Gerry Midenyo (A non ODM-KS member who resigned from the Committee and quit the Party), Odhiambo Opee Jr (Vice secretary) and his father Otieno Opee, a member.
Munala and company failed miserably to mobilize even a single ODM-KS member and they ended up addressing a hostile crowd that was pro- Opwapo Committee. If the Committee had violated the Constitution and pushed for “elections”, Munala and company could have been voted out of office.
After their humiliation, Munala and company are now claiming that there is a plan by the Committee to suspend them from the Committee. There was no such decision at the Committee meeting because the Constitution does not allow the Committee to suspend any member from the Committee under any circumstance. The maximum the Committee can do is to recommend the suspension or expulsion of a Committee member to members who must vote over the issue at a member’s meeting. At the Committee meeting, there was no decision to recommend any suspension or expulsion of any Committee member. The Committee believes that such an action could have been unjustified.
The maximum the Constitution allows is for the Committee to reshuffle the office and nothing else.
There is no website which has been hyjacked by anybody as Munala has claimed. The Committee is in control of ODM-KS website which has been under construction since January. Further information will be made available as soon as possible.
The Committee agreed that all official ODM-KS issues will be published at the Party’s website which www.odmks.org.
Okoth Osewe
ODM-KS Website Is Up And Running
The website of the Orange Democratic Movement (odmks.org) is up and running. The site is still under construction but basic information is available. ODM-KS Constitution, Program, Committee members and contact can be accessed through the site.
The Party’s logo (above) is prominently displayed at the site. The 12 legs of the logo represent the Party’s 12 point program, the Orange is symbolic for the Orange Democratic Movement, Kenya while the image of the sun represents a new dawn for Kenya once ODM-Kenya seizes power.
The availability of the site means that all official information of ODM-KS will now be available through the site. There has been concerns from members that the Party is too reliable on communicating through Blogs which are not representative of the Party.
The Party has had problems because a Committee members has been a major stumbling block in the Party, a situation which frustrated efforts by the Committee to set up the site. The member has allegedly been seeking to hijack the site for selfish ends.
In the meantime, ODM-KS Executive committee meets today at Wananchi Pavillion to set a date for the Annual GeneralMeeting (AGM) and to discuss the situation in the Party.
Two Committee members have called an illegal “Emergency member’s meeting” at ODM-KS Office. Mrs Hellen Opwapo, the Chairlady, has appealed to members who have said that they will come to the Office to observe the illegal activities of two Committee members to be calm and un-provocative.
A group of angry Committee members have threatened to stay put, arguing that the agenda of ODM-KS to help remove Kibaki from power will not be subverted by opportunists and self seekers within the Committee.
The members, who communicated to the Party’s leadership, said that the Party has to announce the date of the AGM so that elections can be held as soon as possible. They insist that members can only have a say in the situation through elections organized on time for every member to attend, not unconstitutional meetings.
ODM-KS Executive has put in place a strategy of dealing with the situation at the Party HQs.
Okoth Osewe
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