ODM's nomination losers in Malindi conspire to front candidate

Disgruntled ODM losers in last week’s nominations for the Malindi by-election are working out a third force to face off with Jubilee and Cord candidates for the National Assembly seat on March 7.

Seven out of the nine who participated in the exercise have been consulting since Orange House announced Mr Willy Mtengo as their nominee for the impending polls on Tuesday after consensus talks hit a snag.

They spoke as ODM leaders told Jubilee to expect a rude shock when election results are announced.

Nominated Senator Agnes Zani and Nominated MP Zuleikha Juma said the political ground has not yet changed even with the prolonged stay by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“We shall go to the 2017 General Election with Coast intact as a Cord region,” she said.

Ms Zani alleged that the visit was mainly about the by-election and trying to win the minds and souls of locals through the issuance of land titles at the Waitiki farm.

She accused the Jubilee Government of failing to fulfill its development agenda and tackling corruption.

“Kenyans are disappointed with this regime. Kenyans have waited for a change following the promulgation of a new constitution but instead have seen worse scandals,” she said.

Ms Juma expressed confidence that the parliamentary seat which was left vacant following the appointment of Mr Dan Kazungu as CS for Mining will remain ODM’s.

FREE AND FAIR CONTEST

Speaking separately to the Sunday Nation on the phone,  an aspirant who lost out in the ODM nominations, Mr Timothy Mwambire, said they were “cooking something to teach ODM a lesson on how to conduct a free and fair contest”.

“We are not going to support their preferred candidate and anybody underrating us should come to the grassroots to know the voice of the people,” he said.

Their aim is to block either Jubilee or Cord from winning the seat.

But divisions have emerged among the faction members after one of the initiators, Mr Justin Kazungu Baya, “chickened out” following a breakfast meeting with Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi on Thursday.

“On Thursday we had fruitful discussions although some of the invited aspirants failed to turn up. I believe we can resolve the issue of the nomination amicably,” he said on the phone.

Deputy Party Leader and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Mr Kingi are trying to quell the “mutiny”.

But another loser, Mr Daniel Chome, refuses to budge, saying the party must be forced to “stop using boardroom meetings to pick candidates”, warning that this was tarnishing ODM’s image.

“We went to Nairobi after we were summoned there but what happened on Tuesday tells you the decision on the flagbearer had already been made prior to us going to Orange House,” he said.

Although he still supports the party, Mr Chome says he will not vote for its preferred candidate because, by doing so, he will be abetting an illegality.

He said the “cooked up figures” that gave victory to Mr Mtengo were hatched by the Kilifi County executive.