Businessman Jimmy Wanjigi could be out to split ODM just like the history of 1992 first multi-party elections that witnessed the fallout and eventual split of the main opposition party FORD.
FORD was a political force behind the repeal of section 2a that removed the one-party rule in the early 90s.
The party was seen as capable of driving late President Daniel Arap Moi-led KANU out of power but it became embroiled in leadership wrangles that neutralised its force.
The tussle for FORD’s party presidential ticket pitied the then doyen of opposition the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and his political friend Kenneth Matiba.
The scramble resulted in the split of FORD into two entities; Ford Kenya led by Oginga Odinga (Raila Odinga’s father) and FORD Asili, led by the late Kenneth Matiba.
The two leaders went on to lose the presidential election in the 1992 General Election leaving Kenya’s longest-serving president, the late Daniel Moi to carry the day.
FORD Kenya has survived to date, led by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula although it is a shadow of its former self.
FORD Asili on the other hand died a natural death, never to be heard again.
Fast forward twenty years later and ODM could be facing the fate that FORD faced through Jimmy Wanjigi’s political antics and machinations?
Wanjigi who is hardly three months in the party seems to be running a parallel outfit in the party and he has been opening party offices in Central Kenya without the engagement of party structure and officials.
Similarly, he has been courting Raila’s close allies in the party and has become one of the harshest critics of the party leader.
His moves have not gone down well with the party leadership who have been questioning his main agenda and why he (Wanjigi) has all of sudden trained his gun on Raila.
It is not lost to observers that Raila Odinga risked his life to protect Wanjigi when State machinery was trained on him.
While top ODM leaders namely Governors Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho who had declared interest in the party presidential ticket have cooled off their ambition, Wanjigi has been lighting fires in Raila house.
Just when Raila is receiving an endorsement from Central Kenya and other parts of the country, Wanjigi is busy creating disharmony in the party.
The big question that is being asked is, is Wanjigi working to undermine Raila’s path to the presidency now that he has received backing from President Uhuru?
Who could Wanjigi be working for and why the change of heart? Is Wanjigi genuinely in ODM and what could be his main agenda?
By Anderson Ojwang.
