New ODM elections board made public

From left: Orange Democratic (ODM) Movement National Elections Board member Robert Arunga, the party's chairman John Mbadi and the board's chairperson Judith Pareno at a media briefing at Orange House in Nairobi on August 25, 2016 on the party’s primaries. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Orange Democratic Movement says no branch official will have any role in nominations.
  • Board's chairperson is East African Legislative Assembly member Judy Pareno.

The Orange Democratic Movement National Elections Board was unveiled on Thursday. It will conduct primaries for its candidates in next year’s elections.

The party announced that none of the branch officials will have any role in the nominations.

Party leader Raila Odinga appointed Dr Robert Arunga as the secretary to the board whose chairperson is East African Legislative Assembly member Ms Judy Pareno.

National chairman John Mbadi addressed the press after the five-member team was made public.

He said: “The party is concerned that some county and constituency branch officials have been summoning aspirants and conducting illegal vetting. We want to announce that the party will deal with any branch official who engages in such illegal activities.’’

He said only the National Elections Board will be in charge of the electoral issues.

Unspecified penalties will face party leaders engaging in extortion on party nominations.

“We do not want people to bring us down by acting inappropriately,” Mr Mbadi said.

In the 2013 elections, the party’s primaries, especially in its stronghold of Nyanza were chaotic with many popular losers crying foul. They defected to other parties and won.

‘VET LEADERS’

Mr Mbadi singled out Migori County where the local branch leader has been summoning aspirants to allegedly vet them for next year’s General Election.

Some constituency chairmen have also been threatening that they will be in charge of party nominations next year.

Ms Pareno said that the new board will take charge of the coming by-elections for county assembly seats in Kajiado, Kisii and Tana River.

“The board is now fully in place and we shall be issuing guidelines on how our candidates will apply for various seats in the coming elections soon,” Ms Pareno said.

The NEC is expected to approve the party’s nomination rules in the coming weeks. The primaries will be at the end of February next year.

On Thursday, some party members said they were opposed to plans for early primaries.

Elsewhere, in Kisumu, the Luo Council of Elders will on Friday endorse Mr Odinga to run president.

Council chairman Willis Otondi and secretary-general Owino Nyady said the meeting will take place at Ofafa memorial hall from 10 am.

In an interview on Thursday, Mr Nyady said calls for Mr Odinga to support other candidates are “farfetched. It would mean he is retiring from active politics. Raila will run for presidency,” he said.

He told Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula to prove their worth through countrywide campaigns.