Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party will hold even if its party leader Raila Odinga successfully assumes the African Union Commission chairmanship in Addis Ababa, party member Fred Odumo has said.
Odumo termed those celebrating that ODM will die as soon as Raila becomes AU chairperson as peddlers of falsehoods.
The legal practitioner, says the party has structures which will guide it should Raila leave to serve in a different sector.
“Raila has a right like any other candidate to seek the position and the ODM party will not hold him back fearing a vacuum,” he said.
He noted that the party will soldier on and continue with its activities uninterrupted.
Odumo noted that Raila has built the party over the years with solid structures and should there be any doubt then the party Constitution is in place to guide it further.
Speaking to the press on Saturday after holding a meeting with Kisumu East ODM party officials, Odumo said the party will not disintegrate in the wake of Raila’s departure.
“I can tell you that the party is very strong and the departure of Rail will make us stronger than before,” he said.
He further waded into the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) which will be debated in Parliament in the coming week.
Odumo said the BPS is bad news since it carries with it a new wave of taxation on Kenyans.
“In the document, the government is proposing additional Sh324 billion additional taxes on Kenyans,” he said.
He called upon Opposition MPs to ensure the document is amended to save Kenyans from heavy taxation.
BPS is a government policy document that sets out the broad strategic priorities and policy goals to guide the national and county governments in preparing their budgets for the subsequent financial year.
During the ODM party officials meeting, the Kisumu East subcounty officials resolved to work with Odumo who has an interest in the Kisumu Senatorial seat in 2027.
The subcounty ODM party chairman Maurice Oula said the idea to rejuvenate the party officials to reach out to more members during the registration exercise is a wise move.
“We require much support so that we enlist those interested in joining our party, that is the only way to increase the visibility of our party at the grassroots level,” he said.
His sentiments were echoed by the women's league chair lady Grace Jobita who lauded him for reaching out to the party officials in a bid to strengthen the party.
Odumo announced that he will foot the bill for the construction of the Kisumu East ODM party office at Mowlem to help in coordinating party matters.
“This is good news to us, we are going to have an office where we can meet and dispense issues of the party,” Jobita said.
