New Ford-K launches grassroots drive to recruit new members
Photo/FILE
FORD-K party leader Soita Shitanda.
New Ford-K has unveiled plans for aggressive grassroots campaigns in the 47 counties to increase support as the party prepares for the next General Election.
Party leader Soita Shitanda said the party will embark on a membership recruitment drive across the country’s counties after which grassroots elections will be held in March.
Mr Shitanda, who is also the minister for Housing, said his party will focus its campaigns in regions with large numbers of voters, including Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central and Coast in a bid to popularise its presidential candidate Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa.
Mr Shitanda added that New Ford-K’s campaign strategy would enable the party to cause an upset when elections are held.
However, the Malava MP said the party was still working closely with an alliance bringing together Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto that plans to hold joint nominations and come up with a single candidate to face ODM’s candidate in the polls.
“We are still trying to persuade Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to give a chance to our candidate so that our alliance can have an easy time beating (Prime Minister Raila) Odinga at the polls if he is picked as the ODM candidate,” said Mr Shitanda.
He said New Ford-K had proved its popularity at the polls after Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale defeated ODM’s Bernard Shinali in a by-election last year.
“That is a sign that our party is set for big things as we gear up for the General Election with our competitors,” said Mr Wamalwa. The Saboti MP said President Kibaki and Mr Odinga should read the public mood and fix an election date for this year.
He added that New Ford-K would conduct free and transparent nominations to pick credible and popular candidates to run for parliamentary seats and positions at the senate and county levels.
Mr Shitanda and Mr Wamalwa were speaking in Kakamega during a party meeting to familiarise party delegates and officials from Nyanza and Western provinces with the provisions of the Political Parties Act.
