Cord closes door on Homa Bay defectors

Cord affiliate parties will not issue nomination certificates to ODM defectors seeking to contest in the Homa Bay Senatorial race, the coalition’s Deputy Leader Kalonzo Musyoka has said.

Mr Musyoka said that the move is aimed at consolidating ODM chances of clinching the Homa Bay seat following the controversial nomination of Mr Moses Kajwang by the party on Tuesday.

The former Vice President also announced that Cord parties are working on elaborate plans to ensure the coalition only fields one candidate in future elections to avoid splitting votes.

“I want to announce today that neither Wiper Democratic Party nor Ford Kenya will issue a nomination ticket for the Homa Bay seat,” Mr Musyoka said.

He was speaking at Orange House where he officially presented the ODM nomination ticket to Mr Kajwang, who will fly the party’s flag in the February 12 by-elections.

JAKAKIMBA

Former Rangwe MP Philip Okundi, former Prime Minister’s personal assistant Silas Jakakimba and former National Social Security Fund Managing Trustee Fred Rabongo have insisted they will be in the ballot following a fallout over the ODM nomination which ended in chaos.

But even as Mr Kalonzo spoke, Mr Okundi, who was denied the ticket despite beating all the seven ODM candidates who had sought the ticket in an internal opinion poll, maintained he had severed links with ODM.

“We have moved on. What has happened in ODM is fraud. I want to state that I will be in the ballot,” Mr Okundi said.

And in Homa Bay, youths staged protests against the nomination of Mr Kajwang’.

Carrying ODM posters and a makeshift coffin, the youths started their protest from Kodoyo junction through Sofia and post office.

They then stashed the ODM posters into the makeshift coffin and set it  ablaze. They warned the party’s top leadership to brace for “a difficult time ahead.”