Ababu was one of Raila’s most trusted loyalists. When he was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Budalangi, he made headlines during his swearing-in ceremony by refusing to take the oath as written. Instead, he pledged his loyalty to the people of Kenya and to Raila Amolo Odinga, even after Speaker Kenneth Marende urged him to follow the standard procedure.
Raila later appointed him as an assistant minister in the Nus-Makate government.
However, after the 2013 elections, William Ruto recognized Ababu’s potential, leading to a friendship between the two. During Ababu’s campaign for the position of Secretary-General of ODM, he underwent a dramatic transformation, crisscrossing the country in helicopters to meet delegates. This sudden flamboyance raised suspicions, with allegations that Ruto was funding his campaign, perhaps to target key ODM documents believed to be under the SG’s purview, which are now with trustees.
Raila had numerous sources of information and soon caught wind of Ababu’s suspicious ambitions. Although he preferred not to see Ababu as the SG, Ababu’s rising popularity, much stronger than Sifuna’s today, forced Raila’s hand. Ultimately, Ababu became the SG, but without any substantive responsibilities, merely representing the party like Edwin Sifuna. This lack of a meaningful role frustrated him to the point of resignation.
Immediately following Ababu’s departure, Raila embarked on a tour of the Western region, starting in Budalangi. Though there were some protests in Budalangi with people chanting, “No Ababu, no ODM”, ODM youth quickly squashed them. Throughout his tour, Raila deliberately avoided mentioning Ababu’s name, even when prompted by the crowd. By doing so, he effectively sidelined Ababu, sending him into political obscurity.
My advice to the current ODM leadership is to refrain from engaging Sifuna and his allies in verbal sparring.
