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ODM leader Raila Odinga with the newly elected party leaders Abdulswamad Sharif Nassir, Simba Arati and Godfrey Osotsi at Capitol Hill Square. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

A last-minute jostling saw Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement introduce a new deputy party leader position, with the opposition party awarding the chairperson position to Homa Bay Governor Glady’s Wanga.

In new changes announced by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Governors Simba Arati (Kisii) and Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir (Mombasa) were made Raila’s deputies, a decision made to calm growing tensions.

“As you may have noticed, the Central Committee has proposed three names for Deputy Party Leader. We will be making a recommendation to the National Executive Council and the National Governing Council to make the necessary changes to our constitution to reflect this,” Sifuna said in a press statement, adding the party positions had attracted immense interest.

ODM previously had two deputy party leader positions, recently vacated by Cabinet Secretaries Hassan Joho (Mining) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Co-operatives). On her part, Wanga succeeded National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi. Some ODM women lawmakers recently lobbied for Wanga’s appointment to fulfil gender equity requirements.

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