National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has called on the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leadership to urgently end internal wrangles.
He said the infighting could damage the legacy of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and weaken ODM’s role in the broad-based government that Raila helped to form.
Wetang’ula said unity was important if the party was to honour Raila’s long political journey.
He described ODM as a party built through sacrifice and a strong belief in national change.
“What is happening in ODM is not good for a party that has been a key force in the Opposition. The leaders should resolve these problems quickly,” he said.
He described Raila as a leader who valued peace and unity, even when political competition was intense.
“Raila was a peacemaker. Even when we disagreed politically, he would reach out. Sometimes he would call me during an Arsenal match and invite me over, and we would make peace. That is what ODM should learn from him,” Wetang’ula said.
He added that many ODM members were asking for calm in the party as a way of respecting Raila’s legacy.
“I worked with Raila in the Opposition. He cared deeply about ODM and never supported divisions or internal fights,” he said.
The Speaker spoke in Busia County during the opening of Nambale Urban Primary and Junior Secondary School.
The project was funded by the Safaricom M-Pesa Foundation and the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
He said ODM could only truly honour Raila by staying united and supporting the broad-based government for the sake of national peace and stability.
At the same event, Teso North MP Oku Kaunya called on ODM members to respect Acting Party Leader Senator Oburu Odinga.
He said the party had given Senator Odinga the authority to engage President William Ruto on ODM’s participation in government.
On education, Mr. Wetang’ula supported President Ruto’s directive allowing Grade 10 students to join school even if they did not meet all admission requirements.
Five MPs backed the directive, saying it would help parents from poor families and support the goal of full transition to Grade 10.
They were Innocent Mugabe (Likuyani), Martin Pepela (Webuye East), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Oku Kaunya (Teso North) and host MP Geoffrey Mulanya.
President Ruto’s aide, Farouk Kibet, warned that headteachers who ignore the directive should be punished.
“The government has plans to support students from poor families. It is wrong to send a child away because they lack a school uniform,” Kibet said.
The leaders accused some school heads of frustrating government efforts by sending away students from poor households.
“Local administrators must enforce the President’s directive because they understand the challenges these families face,” Wetang’ula said.
Pepela said it was unfair to deny students admission after they had already been placed in schools.
Mugabe said many parents had been seeking help, adding that the directive came at the right time.
Wetang’ula also criticised former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for suggesting that national schools in the Central region should mainly admit local students.
He said the remarks encouraged tribalism and selfish politics.
The Speaker urged the Ministry of Education to ignore the call, noting that national schools are built using public funds and should admit students from all parts of the country.
He also asked the Luhya community to unite behind President Ruto, saying unity would help the region position itself for national leadership after the President’s second term.
Wetang’ula further encouraged residents in border areas to take advantage of relaxed rules to acquire national identity cards and register as voters.
