This name, Ababu Namwamba has hit blogs, newspaper columns and social media forums from twitter, Facebook to whatsapp groups lately. It all started as speculation when the public started being loudly worried of the silence of the Budalangi legislator from key political and governance issues that were hitting the country. This was obviously so unlike him.
Ababu has been known to be one of the most vocal and sober leaders this country has. His articulation of matters and convincing power being an envy of many politicians. With clinching the coveted seat of ODM secretary general, words could hardly explain the expectations of the people. Especially the Western block as they now felt fully represented in the party which has been perceived to be a Nyanza and Luo affair.
The luhya legislators in the party now felt like it was a eureka moment for them. One could only imagine how vocal Ababu would be now that he had the instruments to do so being the Official spokesperson of the party.
However, not long after, the name Ababu is back but this time with more lamentation than optimism. It all started when the legislator was conspicuously missing at key Odm and cord functions including the burial of Jacob Juma which was in his western Kenya backyard.
The ODM sec gen’s participation in the anti IEBC protests has also been questioned. He has not led from the front as has always been his style of doing things. This was quickly followed by posts by his wife that showed him feeding his children and taking pictures with his family, and this he was doing at the heart of hitted political temperatures with leaders of his caliber spending sleepless nights tackling national matters.
This seemed not to go well with some members of the public including the COTU sec Gen Francis Atwoli who commented on it saying Ababu was being a let down to the western leadership by focusing on non-issues while leaders were busy with the country.
Ababu after boiled up conversations on his absenteeism, has come out to explain himself saying he is being frustrated at the orange house. The western Kenya MPs have come out in solidarity to say the son of their soil is under frustration plus everyone else from the region. They are claiming that they are being sidelined even when the party visits their areas of jurisdiction. Siting examples of the party leaders visits to western Kenya without informing the area ODM MPs. Ababu claims that the office of the sec gen has been weakened and all his projects frustrated by non-allocation of funds to the projects.
My opinion
Just like Ababu was a fighter before, so should he be today. Ababu has fought for his space in Kenyan politics, western Kenya politics and ODM politics rising to the position of secretary General against all odds. Claims of being merely tolerated than appreciated are mere kicks of a dying horse.
With the Kenyan nature of tribal politics where Political parties are mere tribal outfits, its only common and obvious that Ababu Namwamba did not expect to be treated as a prince in ODM, he might be lucky to find such kind of treatment of appreciation and applaud in Ford Kenya or New Ford Kenya.
Ababu was felt outside party leadership. He made his point and the party had no option than to listen, he cannot claim to be losing from the inside when he was winning from the outside. Ababu should rise above seeking sympathy and cut out his clothe.
Politics is a game of interests cushioned in ideology, he should therefore know that as Sec Gen, he is still a politician and not a mere administrator, he should be aware that the people holding other positions within the party are as well not party administrators but party politicians. No one is therefore going to clap for him on his way up the ladder. They did not do it before and will not do it now. The only time they might have clapped for him, it’s when he was raising their profile and not his. Everyone has selfish interests and so, just like he fought his battles his own way before, so should he today.
Ababu should not be misled by western Kenya ODM MPs who are now using the matter to obtain some relevance. It is unfair for ODM and CORD leaders to visit western Kenya areas without informing nor inviting area members of parliament. But again it is the responsibility of the area members to cut out their clothe in their region and make themselves so highlighted that officials will then feel it needful to have them on their visits.
Politics is about numbers, if an MP cannot afford 200 people in his own forum, how will he grasp the attention of his partly leader? And why complain only of not being invited to key Party and coalition Functions, you might make more sense complaining of leaders not turning up at your self-organized functions where you invited them. Leaders can’t always do things for you, sometimes, you do things for yourself, then leaders only rubber stamp.
By Mundalo M Advice.