Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo has explained that Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna are not aligned with the broad-based government due to the nature of politics in Nairobi.
Speaking on Monday, November 17, Odhiambo noted that urban politics, particularly in Nairobi, are usually oppositionist in nature.
The ODM MP explained that politics is about interests and that Babu and Sifuna risk losing their support base in Nairobi if they align with the government.
“What is the position of the people whose voters are primarily in Nairobi? What is the position of Babu and Sifuna? Is Nairobi predominantly broad-based? Of course not, which is very normal in urban politics anywhere in the world; they are usually very oppositionist in nature.
“For me, I can go to Suba and say I am broad-based and talk to people of Suba North to follow me in broad-based, but Nairobi is a totally different dynamic. That is why I am very understanding of Sifuna and Babu when people attack them and say, why don’t you follow this direction. In politics, people look out also for their own interests,” said the Suba North MP.
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Odhiambo also pointed out that Kenyan politics is still ethnic based with with ethnicity playing a significant role in shaping political support even in urban areas.
“Let us also be realistic about the nature of our politics in Kenya, it is very ethnic based and you would want to hope that in urban places like Nairobi, that it is not, but it is.
“Let us assume there are very many Kikuyus who are supporting Sifuna, and then he goes and says now we are in broad-based,” Odhiambo added.
Babu and Sifuna are among a section of the ODM politicians who are opposed to the broad-based government.
On August 18, the two skipped a joint ODM and UDA parliamentary group meeting at the KCB Leadership Centre in Karen, which was chaired by President William Ruto and the late ODM leader Raila Odinga.
On October 30, Sifuna cautioned ODM Members against the casual use of the term 'Broad-Based,' noting that many people use it without a clear understanding of its meaning or purpose.
The ODM Secretary General said it had become fashionable for people to use the phrase in every political discussion.
Sifuna noted that those misusing the term have overlooked the fact that the Broad-Based initiative was founded on a clearly defined 10-point agenda.
"It has become fashionable for people to throw around this thing. Every single discussion that comes up, ‘we are in Broad-Based’. I want to remind them that Broad-Based is built on a 10-point agenda," he stated.
Sifuna stated that the document’s contents were authored by the late ODM leader Raila Odinga himself, urging those debating it to familiarize themselves with its details before making arguments.
"When you run around with this thing, always remember that there’s an agreement there; please, read it. Baba himself told the country that he’s the one who wrote that thing, so don’t argue with me about its contents,” Sifun added.
