All set for ODM polls in five counties at the Coast
Election materials for ODM primaries in Kisii County stored at Gusii National Polytechnic on April 20, 2017. The party's primaries in Coast will go on as planned. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- A fierce battle is expected in Malindi, Kilifi South parliamentary seats as well as that of the Woman Representative.
- Another battle is in Kilifi South where the primaries will feature Mr Nicholas Wanyepe and Mr Ken Chonga.
Preparations for tomorrow’s ODM primaries in five coastal counties were complete yesterday.
Today, ODM national election board member Edward Nyale, said that the elections would go on as planned in Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River and Lamu.
The polls were postponed on Wednesday due to hitches, ODM national elections board chairperson, Ms Judith Pareno, said in a statement.
JUMWA VS MTENGO
In Kilifi, election board chairman Dr Mtana Lewa said that all the materials had arrived in the county.
“We are still busy with the planning. We have requested for security and everything is going on as planned,” Dr Lewa said.
A fierce battle is expected in Malindi, Kilifi South parliamentary seats as well as that of the Woman Representative.
In Malindi, Kilifi Woman Representative Aisha Jumwa will be battling it out with incumbent William Mtengo who was elected during the March 7, 2016 by-election.
Mr Mtengo won the seat after beating Jubilee’s Philip Charo in a hotly contested by-election following the elevation of Mr Dan Kazungu to the Cabinet by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Ms Jumwa was instrumental in the election of Mr Mtengo but later changed tune and vowed to go for the seat, having resettled in Kakuyuni.
SENATE CONTESTANTS
The two leaders have been engaging in a spat since then, with Ms Jumwa claiming that she wants to oust Mr Mtengo so that she can change the lives of Malindi people.
Mr Mtengo went mute after the elections to concentrate on development.
Another battle is in Kilifi South where the primaries will feature Mr Nicholas Wanyepe and Mr Ken Chonga.
The two vied for the same seat in 2013 and lost to incumbent Mustapha Iddi.
Mr Wanyepe, who came second after Mustapha Iddi, will be seeking to edge out businessman Kena Chonga who ditched Kadu Asili for ODM.
MBEYU 'A PROJECT'
The Woman representative seat will see Kibarani Ward representative Gertrude Mbeyu lock horns with youthful entrepreneur Ms Juliet Riziki.
Ms Mbeyu, an ally of the outgoing Woman representative, Ms Jumwa, has been referred by Ms Riziki as a project.
“I am an able woman out to make my own decisions,” she said.
