Is ODM fighter Ababu Namwamba General missing in action?

NAIROBI: A fiery voice in the Orange brigade has apparently gone mute. And this is none other than Ababu Namwamba. 

In his political debut, the then youthful, smartly-dressed and eloquent MP-elect took the country by storm. 

He was then little known beyond ODM strongholds, until that moment when he caught the attention of the then Clerk of the National Assembly the late Samuel Ndindiri, in the thick of things as the senior parliamentary officer tried his best to control a largely divided House in January 2008. 

The newly elected crop of legislators, a large percentage making their maiden way into the august House, had only been summoned for swearing in after a disputed election, where PNU’s Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga of ODM were claiming victory, with the former sworn under controversial circumstances. 

MP-elect for Budalang’i Ababu Namwamba stood out among the Opposition heavyweights, never mind he was only new in the House and expected to learn the procedures. He took on Kibaki’s strongest defenders, including then ministers Kiraitu Murungi and Martha Karua with gusto, not showing signs of being intimidated by their long experience in the House.

He was fighting for the allegedly stolen win of his party boss, Raila, and even declined to swear allegiance to President Kibaki, as was required of him.

Ababu wondered why Kibaki was being called to take his oath of office as the Othaya legislator ahead of him, when alphabetically, he was supposed to be the first. On that day, he won some battles, just as he lost others, but Namwamba left a mark, especially to the Opposition supporters. He has for long stood out as one of Raila’s strongest defenders, in the process earning himself the distinguished position of ODM Secretary General, a position hitherto held by party bigwig Anyang’ Nyong’o.

He withstood strong voices from his critics within the party who labelled him a PNU mole. He has defended himself against the allegations of working with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee.

In some corners, whispers have it that he is secretly a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto.

But Namwamba has always defended his loyalty to ODM and consequently CORD. 

Prior to the last General Election, Namwamba was among the young leaders who shone and carried the mantle of Raila’s election bid. 

He was among the vocal leaders under the ODM Re-loaded who turned up in rallies, in complete fatigues that made him stand out from the rest.