Nyaribo, ODM on collision path over choice of deputy
Evans Nyakundi and KNA
Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo is on a collision path with his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after he rejected its nominee for deputy governor, former banker Charles Rigoro.
Rejecting the party’s choice, Nyaribo maintained that the Constitution bestows upon him the mandate of picking his deputy.
Addressing journalists in Nyamira yesterday, Nyaribo said nobody should dictate to him his choice of deputy as he was capable of deciding on a suitable person.
Dire consequences
“ODM party or any other political party, does not have authority to dictate who my deputy will be and I will not accept any names proposed to me by political party officials as ODM has allegedly done,” the governor stated.
But in a quick rejoinder, ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna warned Nyaribo of dire consequences should he reject Rigoro as the party’s choice for his deputy.
“It is unfortunate if the governor has decided that way, remember he is a beneficiary of ODM’s benevolence.
If he has chosen to reject the party’s choice, the party will meet and review the matter and advise our MCAs accordingly,” warned Sifuna.
ODM had forwarded the name of Rigoro as its choice for deputy governor, after the county assembly rejected his initial choice for the position, former assistant minister Dr James Gesami.
The orange party wrote to Nyaribo thereafter recommending that he picks Rigoro as the deputy governor nominee, for onward transmission to the county assembly for vetting.
In a letter dated January 20, ODM party chairman John Mbadi said the party’s demand was in line with the Memorandum of Understaning (MoU) signed by Nyaribo and the late governor John Nyagarama prior to the 2017 General Election.
In the letter , Mbadi also reminded Nyaribo that the party must be involved in the formation of the County Executive Committee as agreed in the MoU.
Prescribed in law
“As you recall, in the run-up to 2017 General Election, the ODM party, Amani National Congress and other like minded parties entered into an agreement that bore the Nasa coalition.
Pursuant to the terms of the coalition agreement, you and the late governor Nyagarama, entered in an MoU regarding the running of the county government of Nyamira.
The Mou was registered at the office of the Registrar of Political Parties as prescribed in law.
It is our understanding that the MoU runs the electoral cycle 2017-2022,” read part of the letter.
