There is no infighting in Cord: Raila Odinga

ODM leader Raila Odinga (left) with party Secretary-General Ababu Namwamba and former Kanduyi MP Alfred Khangati after Mr Odinga conducted a meeting with ODM Bungoma delegates in ngoma town on August 29, 2015. PHOTO | RAPHAEL WANJALA |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• We’re working to ensure we are strong, says Opposition leader.
• Former prime minister says ODM needs to put its house in order.

By RAPHAEL WANJALA
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Opposition leader Raila Odinga on Saturday said there is no in-fighting in Cord.

Mr Odinga said that each of the Cord affiliates, ODM, Wiper and Ford-Kenya, has a right to put their house in order and this should not be construed as a sign of emerging cracks.

“Cord is like a homestead with many houses, each with its head. Here, each child retreats to their house when darkness sets in,” said Mr Odinga.

Mr Odinga was speaking in Bungoma town when he met ODM delegates from the county. He was reacting to concerns by some opposition figures that the current arrangement encourages “political cannibalism” as each party seeks to outdo each other.

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama has been advocating the collapsing of the parties into one strong outfit to defeat the Jubilee alliance in the 2017 polls.

But Mr Odinga called on members of the three parties to ensure their party remains strong as, that way, Cord will be bolstered to take on Jubilee.

“People should understand that we are only working to ensure we are strong,” he said.

He said that ODM needed to put its house in order otherwise they would lose out if partners felt that they were unstable.

Mr Odinga said he was confident that Cord would remain united until 2017 and beyond.

STRONG EMOTIONS

His sentiments echo those of his co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka who separately told the Sunday Nation that those waiting for Cord to disintegrate would be disappointed.

“Our interests are best catered for in Cord and no one should think of us quitting or the alliance breaking up,” he said.

Debate on who will be the alliance’s presidential torchbearer has also elicited strong emotions in Cord with each of the parties having given the green light to their party leaders to seek the coalition’s ticket.

Reports of a secret pact signed by the three politicians have also been the subject of speculation with Mr Musyoka’s supporters saying that 2017 is his turn to run, having supported Mr Odinga in 2013.

The trio, however, maintain that the matter will amicably be settled at the right time.

ODM secretary-general Ababu Namwamba was with Mr Odinga and said they were handling internal issues to increase the party’s popularity.

Mr Namwamba said that there was no internal fighting within the coalition, saying that all the parties were sisters.

However, Bungoma County ODM delegates said Ford Kenya was being sidelined in the coalition.