This archive report was first published on 17 August 2019.
On Friday, Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok made a surprise announcement at the annual Turkana Festival, stating he still and will remain in the ODM Party. This comes after he had publicly declared his support for DP William Ruto in 2022.
Speaking in the presence of Raila Odinga, Nanok expressed his respect for the former Prime Minister, crediting him with valuable lessons in politics. He vowed to remain loyal to ODM and its leader, Raila Odinga.
‘I would like to thank you Prime Minister Raila Odinga for visiting us. You have been with us and has always stood by us. I respect you because it is from you that I have learnt a lot of things in politics. I am still in ODM and I am still the ODM Vice Chair,’ he said amid cheers.
Earlier in May, Nanok had announced his endorsement of DP Ruto's 2022 bid, which led to his ousting from the ODM Vice Chair position. He was replaced by Loima MP Jeremiah Lomorukai.
Turkana County has been a stronghold of the ODM Party since 2007, and Raila Odinga has enjoyed significant support from the region. DP William Ruto has made five trips to Turkana in the last two months, in a bid to win over the county's support for his 2022 bid.
Following Nanok's initial defection to DP Ruto's camp, he has been vocal in his criticism of Raila Odinga and the former Premier's push for constitutional changes.
‘I don’t want to be governor by having the constitution changed. We must pave way for other people to lead. Those telling us about constitutional changes should spare us,’ he said last month.
When Nanok broke ranks with the ODM Party, he was replaced by Loima MP Jeremiah Lomorukai as the party's Vice Chair. The ODM Party NEC had previously announced his replacement on June 28th.
