ODM primaries will be fair, says Oburu

PHOTO | TOM OTIENO Lands Minister James Orengo (left) consults with Finance Assistant Minister Oburu Oginga during a past meeting.

An assistant minister has assured his competitors that the Orange Democratic Movement nominations will be free and fair, and that nobody will be given a free ticket to run for the Siaya County governor’s post.

Finance assistant minister Oburu Oginga said that ODM has not given him a free ticket to run for the post as is being said after he accepted to step out of the senate race for his arch- rival Lands minister James Orengo.

He said that ODM is a democratic party.

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“I love democracy and I am not going to allow a situation where I am given a free ticket, I have been a Member of Parliament for 19 years and I have always been elected democratically,” he said.

He said his rivalry with Mr Orengo was dividing the party and that is why he agreed to shelve his ambitions after consultations within the party and, instead, run for the governor’s post.

“We, therefore, decided that the two big seats be divided between the two regions of the county, that is, senator for the greater Siaya (consisting of Siaya, Ugenya and Gem districts) and governor for the greater Bondo (consisting of Bondo and Rarieda districts),” he added.

NATIONAL AGENDA
  • ISSUE 1 - Job Creation
  • ISSUE 2 -Food Security
  • ISSUE 3 - Healthcare
  • ISSUE 4 - Education
  • ISSUE 5 - Energy
  • ISSUE 6 - Water & Environment
  • ISSUE 7 - Social Protection
  • ISSUE 8 - Public Infrastructure
  • ISSUE 9 - National Security & Foreign Policy
  • ISSUE 10 - Boosting Exports
  • ISSUE 11 - Devolution
  • ISSUE 12 - Ethnicity

However, he said, the decision has not closed the door for anybody who wants to contest either post.

Last week, Dr Oginga and Mr Orengo reached a deal to support each other for the gubernatorial and senate seats respectively.

Speaking at Orange House in Nairobi, the two said they had come to an agreement for the sake of the party and country.

The Bondo MP added yesterday that he had also realised that he was not widely accepted in the county as a senator and he decided to try his luck in becoming governor.

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