Interior principal secretary Raymond Omollo has waded into the murky waters of Luo politics taking Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga head on.
Observers believe Omollo is testing the waters before he asserts himself as a power broker both locally and nationally. It could also be seen as a major step towards building a fiefdom just like the former powerful head of Internal Security Hezekiah Oyugi.
Hezekiah Oyugi
Oyugi was a powerful power broker who had the ears of president Daniel Moi until they fell out after the death of Foreign Affairs minister Robert Ouko.
During his time, Oyugi was said to run a parallel system where he appointed special district officers in the government who would take care of his interests.
He became close to Moi after the abortive 1982 coup attempt where he stood by the head of state.
Omollo on the other hand was the first leader to organise for president William Ruto’s visit to Homa Bay county immediately after the 2022 general elections when political tension was still high.
Omollo who is a former managing director of the Lake Basin Development Authority is a smooth operative who rarely appears in the media.
During the visit, the head of state pledged a number of development projects for the region. Omollo was incensed by the fact that Azimio leaders from other regions were meeting Ruto while those from Luo Nyanza were targeted for doing the same.
The stand taken by Omollo is now expected to meet with varied reactions given that the Nyanza region is Raila’s political bastion.
Already, a member of the county assembly from Kisumu Seth Kanga has accused Omollo of engaging in politics yet he is a civil servant.
In what might appear as a bid towards building his political empire, Omollo hit out at Raila for what he described as a double standard in dealing with perceived rebels in the ODM party.
The PS noted that it was a worrying concern that ODM leaders working with the government in Luo Nyanza are the only ones punished by Raila’s party while those from other regions are spared.
The opposition party recently expelled some of the legislators from Luo Nyanza who were viewed as renegades.
Omollo said that Raila met president William Ruto recently in Mombasa at night.
“Although I am a civil servant who is barred from making political statements, I am concerned as a son of Nyanza about the politics of our region,” he said.
He said a lot is happening at the moment in the political space in Nyanza region. “We have to ask ourselves tough questions regarding what is going on in the region. Why is it that only ODM elected leaders from the region are punished for associating with president Ruto or senior officers in his government while those from other regions are spared by the ODM party leader?” he asked.
He said he is a government official who is mandated to serve every Kenyan and it is a worrying concern that even MCAs from the opposition party are banned from meeting him for whatever reason.
“Those who met me from Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori were reprimanded. The truth is, the leadership of the party has no respect for the people of Luo Nyanza,” he said.
“We have supported them for far too long that they now disrespect us as a people,” he said.
The PS claimed that the ODM leadership under Raila had taken the support and loyalty of the Luo nation for granted.
He appealed to the people of Luo Nyanza to open their ears and listen to what others opposed to ODM politics are telling them.
He observed that Uriri MP Mark Nyamita and the other leaders considered rebels in ODM visited the president just the same way the Homa Bay governor Gladys Wanga and Ochilo Ayacko (Migori) met the president in Kisumu when Ruto toured the region.
“In fact, Kisumu governor Anyang’ Nyong’o spent three days with the president at Kisumu State Lodge. Even the Siaya governor James Orengo met the president when he toured Siaya that time,” he said. The truth is the party leader Raila himself met the president at night in Mombasa,” he added.
The PS noted that it is time Nyanza people were told the truth. “Today, Nyamita has brought the speaker Moses Wetang’ula here. He is a member or the government, just like we also have the CS for health who serves in government. You can’t be happy to take the money they donate in support of development programmes but hate the government they serve in,” he said.
