President William Ruto on Wednesday, September 13 held talks with the five members of parliament who were recently expelled from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
The meeting took place at State House Nairobi with Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo also in attendance.
Among those present were Lang’ata lawmaker Felix Odiwuor, Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo, and Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda.
Also present were MPs Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Gideon Ochada (Bondo) and Mark Nyamita of Uriri Cosntituency.
Sources from State House revealed that the meeting touched on development matters affecting the Nyanza region.
In particular, the MPs expressed their appreciation for President Ruto’s commitment towards reviving the sugar sector in Kenya.
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What’s more, the MPs vowed to continue working with the Kenya Kwanza government under President Ruto and support his development agenda.
Earlier in the day, Odiwuor also known as Jalang’o had maintained that he was in ODM to stay despite his expulsion.
The Lang’ata legislator noted that his meetings with Ruto sought to deliver on his promises and that he is planning to defend his seat on ODM in 2027.
“I am a member of ODM and that is the party I will use to vie for my second term. Unless the party wants to lose the seat,” an adamant Jalang’o stated in an interview with the media.
Also Read: Jalang’o Breaks Silence After ODM Expulsion
Short Reprieve for ODM rebels
On Tuesday, September 13, three of the expelled members got a short-term reprieve after the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal suspended their expulsion until a case filed by the three is determined.
The three, namely Tom Ojienda, Jalang’o and Elisha Odhiambo, told the tribunal that they were not aware of any disciplinary proceedings and that they were not given an opportunity to defend themselves.
“This notification of expulsion and deregistration from the party is shocking to the Complainant because he was not given a chance to be heard on the subject complaints,” the petition read.