ODM claims Governor Jack Ranguma has not resigned from party
Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma addressing reporters in Kisumu on May 10, 2017. He announced he will defend his seat as an independent candidate. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Elections Act states an aspirant shall not be a member of any registered party at least three months to the General Election.
- ODM has insisted it is yet to receive Mr Ranguma and Mr Obiero’s resignation letters.
Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma could be locked out of the August 8 elections as an independent candidate after ODM denied receiving his resignation letter from the party.
ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen, in a letter to Odinga Oboge Advocates, stated that Mr Ranguma and Kisumu West MP aspirant Ken Obiero are still ODM members.
“So far the party has not been furnished with any document related to their resignation from the party,” stated Mr Ong’wen in the letter dated May 25.
According to the Elections Act of 2011, an aspirant running as an independent should not be a member of any registered party at least three months to the General Election.
Gordon Sewe Okello, a voter represented by the law firm, sought to know whether Mr Ranguma and Mr Obiero had resigned from ODM.
PRIMARIES
In his letter dated May 23, the voter requested ODM to release copies of resignation letters by the two politicians “or information relating to their resignation dates from your party.”
“That our client being a voter and a resident of Kisumu West Constituency, he wishes to get the said information from your good offices for purposes of petitioning the Honourable High Court of Kenya on the legality of the said aspirants to vie as independent candidates,” stated the letter from the law firm.
ODM, in a letter signed by Mr Ong’wen, confirmed that Mr Ranguma and Mr Obiero participated in the party primaries on April 24 in Kisumu County as candidates for the Kisumu gubernatorial and Kisumu West parliamentary seats, respectively.
PARTY REGISTERS
A senior official at the office of the Registrar of Political Parties told Nation.co.ke that some candidates opted to write their resignation letters directly to the agency's office for their names to be expunged from their respective party registers.
“In such cases their resignation letters were photocopied and sent to their former parties,” said the official, who declined to be named.
But ODM has insisted it is yet to receive resignation letters from Mr Ranguma and Mr Obiero.
Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o won the ODM gubernatorial ticket while former Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association chairman John Awiti secured the Kisumu West parliamentary ticket.
