ODM will not contest Kangema, Kajiado North mini polls

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will not field candidates in Kangema and Kajiado North constituencies during next month’s by-elections.

On Friday, ODM through its national elections board secretary Joseph Misoi called on aspirants for the Ndhiwa Constituency to send in their applications by Thursday.

According to the advert, the Orange party will also field candidates in only five of the 15 wards which will also be holding by-elections on September 17.

The Party of National Unity (PNU) and The National Alliance (TNA) are the other parties that have asked aspirants seeking to vie in Ndhiwa, Kajiado North and Kangema to send their applications.

The deadlines for applications for the PNU ticket is on Monday while that for the TNA ticket is on Wednesday, according to their adverts.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has asked parties to nominate their candidates for Kajiado North, Kangema and Ndhiwa by August 15.

The late Internal Security Assistant minister Orwa Ojode was the MP for Ndhiwa until his death in June alongside his boss George Saitoti.

More than 30 aspirants have declared their interest in the ODM ticket to contest the Ndhiwa parliamentary seat.

Kangema was represented by the late Environment minister John Michuki of PNU who passed away in March while Kajiado North was represented by Prof Saitoti who until his death was the PNU chairman.

PNU and TNA are expected to use the by-elections in Kangema and Kajiado North as testing grounds for their popularity.

In Kajiado North, one of the perceived front-runners, Moses ole Sakuda, jumped from ODM to join TNA.

It will be the first time in 24 years that Kajiado North voters will be electing a new MP.

TNA contenders Joseph Manje, Moses ole Sakuda and Francis Gitau in Kajiado North have been conducting road shows to popularise themselves and their party. The winner in TNA nomination will fight it out with Salaine Kashorda of UDF, Solomon Kinyanjui of PNU and David Parseina of URP.

There are eight aspirants who are seeking TNA ticket in Kangema and they have been seeking confirmation from the party that there will be no direct nominations.

Other than filling the application form, those seeking the TNA ticket are also required to sign “the iBelieve Candidates Creed” and also submit an essay of more than 100 words on their agenda for the position and the people they wish to represent.