Today's Headlines
- Two Exhibitions Are On At Ramoma, Nairobi
- Country to Review Tourism Law
- Econet Wireless Finally Rolls Out
- Odinga Warns of Civil Unrest
- Mulee Rules Out Harambee Stars U-Turn
- Taking Up a Women's Agenda
- More Than 6,000 Christian Youth Converge for Prayers
- Catholic Church Outraged By MPs' Refusal to Pay Tax
- Pope Benedict Praying for Release of Abducted Nuns
- Thousands Flee Amid Fears of Border Clashes
- Malaria Rates Plummet Among Children
- Winning Against HIV Stigma Behind Bars
- First Congress of Federation of African Journalists a Historic Milestone, Says IFJ
- Archbishop Lele Urges State to Act as Food Crisis Bites
- Regional Workshop Focus Border Management, Irregular Migration
- Silverbird Acquires Kenya's Nu Metro, Starts Operations in Ghana
- Raila is Evil, Says Minister
- Man Charged With Abduction of Two Catholic Sisters
- UN Censures State On Torture
- Agencies Seek $390 Million to Offset Climate And Food Risks
- UN-Backed Scheme Gives 3,000 Prisoners Clean Water and Sanitation
- Samosa Festival is On in Nairobi
- Heartstrings in Another Comedy
- Govts, Investors Engage RVR in Rail Bid
- Mwangi Replaces Mwebesa At NSE
- Riepa Hosts Business Association
- ICTR Petitions UN for Arrest of Kabuga
- UBA to Invest SH360 Billion in Kenya
- Free Movement of People Too, Not Just Goods and Capital
- Judges Running Out of Money?
The Nation (Nairobi)
May 12, 2008
News Article
Orange Democratic Movement will field candidates in the five constituencies to compete with the Party of National Unity in the June 11 by-election, deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said Sunday.
The party, he said, wants to maintain its majority in Parliament.
Vacant
"We are a grand coalition, but there is no law that says Mr (Raila) Odinga cannot support his party," he said.
And there is no law barring Mr Odinga from campaigning for his party in the by-elections, he added.
"We want to main our majority in the House, that is why every seat counts," Mr Mudavadi said.
The Electoral Commission of Kenya recently announced the by-election programme for Emuhaya, Kilgoris, Ainamoi, Embakasi and Wajir North seats, which have remained vacant since January.
Garsen MP Danson Mungatana has been on record saying the two leaders, the President and Prime Minister, should not participate in the coming by-election campaigns.
But, Mr Mudavadi said, ODM is set to capture the five parliamentary seats to be contested so that the party can bolster its strength in Parliament.
He was speaking at Mr Odinga's homecoming party in Bondo.
The only PNU MP who attended the ceremony was Saboti's Eugene Wamalwa. The MP accused his colleagues in PNU of suffering from what he described as "Raila phobia".
Former Vice-President Michael Wamalwa, his elder brother, described the fear of Mr Odinga in similar terms, while he described the fanatic following as "Raila mania".
He said Mr Odinga was an enigma in the Kenyan politics, who could not be ignored any more.
Extolled
Cabinet ministers and MPs at the function extolled Mr Odinga's virtues as a leader.
Adjectives such as visionary, far-sighted, brave and determined were the order of the day as each speaker who stood to address the crowd heaped praises on the Prime Minister.
The leaders also appealed to communities in Western Kenya to stand together to chart a new course in the country's politics.
Industrialisation minister and ODM chairman Henry Kosgey urged the people not to lose sight of their goal of getting the presidency.
Other speakers included ministers James Orengo, Fred Gumo, Otieno Kajwang and Hellen Sambili.
Several Member of Parliament also talked.
Reports by Patrick Mayoyo, Dan Otieno and Walter Menya
