Flamboyant and celebrated lawyer Ambrose Weda has shed light on his longstanding political rift with former ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Once close allies, the two leaders have not aligned politically for over a decade.
In an interview on Ramogi Baraza with seasoned radio host Victor Juma, Weda revealed that their split occurred during the 2007 ODM parliamentary nominations for Kisumu Rural constituency.
“We parted ways with Mr. Odinga in 2007, during the ODM parliamentary nominations for Kisumu Rural constituency. I defeated Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o by a huge margin, but he decided to give him the Orange party ticket,” Weda stated.
Following this incident, Weda vowed never to align himself with Odinga’s camp again. “That was the end of us. I respect him as a leader; however, we have never been on the same political divide again,” he said.
Apart from his private practice, Weda is actively involved in various community functions. He currently serves as the chairman of the Maseno School Board of Management (BOM).
Ahead of the 2022 General Elections, Weda aligned himself with the Kenya Kwanza coalition, becoming one of the few from Odinga’s stronghold to oppose him.
The Kisumu Rural constituency was later renamed Seme constituency.
After Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, former PS Health Dr. James Nyikal was elected MP, while Prof. Nyong’o secured the Kisumu Senate seat.
Prof Nyong’o served one term as senator before winning the gubernatorial seat in 2017, defeating incumbent Jack Ranguma, who ran as an independent candidate after losing in the party primaries.