Contrary to assertions by Budalangi Member of Parliament, Ababu Namwamba the newly relaunched Labour Party of Kenya would introduce a fresh impetus to the politics in the country as a third force, today’s low-key relaunch of LPK at Mamba Village was reduced to a Busia County affair that went unnoticed at national media level.
For someone who is used to attend largescale and passionate party meetings in his ODM days, the uneventful LPK launch must have come as a shock to the maverick Budalangi MP who promised political fire and brimstone when he launched his so called third force.
The event took off to an acrimonious begining when Funyula MP Dr. Paul Otuoma stayed away after key NEC positions were handed close associates of Hon Namwamba. Otuoma instead sent his PA and a number of associates.
Earlier in the morning as delegates started streaming into the venue, sources revealed that up to 75% of the attendees were drawn from within Busia County’s 35 wards,and majority of them were from Senator Amos Wako’s Bukhayo clan in Nambale sub-county.
With reports doing rounds that Hon. Namwamba was in the red and nearing bankruptcy after his Jubilee benefactors abandoned him when he fell out and burnt bridges with ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga, Senator Wako stepped in and financed the entire exercise “with help from his Indian friends” to the tune of a whopping Ksh 40 million.
Although Wako has not publicly announced his departure from ODM, his involvement in LPK’s relaunch in which he personally ensured that each delegate from Busia ‘s 35 wards, all 525 of them, we’re each paid Ksh 15,000/- as motivational facilitation for attending today’s relaunch in Nairobi. Ordinarily parties pay much less to delegates during NDCs and Senator Wako, a prime suspect in the Goldenberg and Anglo-Leasing mega-scams, had no problem forking out the millions.
What has long been subject of the grapevine was confirmed when the long hand of Jubilee was exposed. Having been shut out of JAP, the sacked irrigation board CEO Eng Daniel Baraza was in attendance. Eng Baraza is rumoured to be in a love triangle thanet involves an MP from the Mt. Kenya region (but this is a story for another day).
Interestingly, the first resolution the LPK delegates passed was to indicate the party would not join the defunct Jubilee Coalition. But work toward becoming a corporate member of the CORD coalition. This has been widely interpreted as a desperate attempt obtain a political lifeline from Odinga’s widespread influence under the guise of a prodigal son returnif home as “party leader’. Laughable.
But it is the list of LPK’s national officials that has been dismissed as an absurdity. Sample this;
Chairperson – Mama Julia Ojiambo; great great grandmother, former Kalonzo running mate, pulled out of retirement for Ababu show.
Party Leader – Clara Mayaka ; long term associate of Hon Namwamba.
Secretary General – David Makali; former Citizen TV talks how host and IEBC communication consultant
Organizing Secretary – Peter Kibera perennial election loser and party hopper. Bar member Birongo Square, Nairobi West.
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