Who’ll fly ODM’s flag in Homa Bay?

Intense lobbying is going on within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) cycles after the party announced it would use direct nomination in arriving at who will fly its flag in the upcoming Homa Bay senatorial by-election on February 12 after the party’s nominations were disrupted last Monday.

So intense is the process ahead of a crucial Monday meeting that each of the aspirants hoping to be selected is scrambling for the attention of party leader Raila Odinga, who is thought to have a big say in the process that will also involve the ODM National Elections Board.

This they are doing by either reaching out directly to the former Prime Minister or through people close to him.

Mr Philip Okundi, Mr Caroli Omondi, Mr Silas Jakakimba, Mr Fred Rabongo, Dr Kenneth Kambona, Mr George Mboya and Mr Moses Kajwang’ have declared their interest in the ODM seat.

And, as the lobbying continues, the Sunday Nation has learnt that some aspirants have also asked Mr Odinga to rein in his elder brother, Oburu Oginga, to stop what they call “interference” in the process of replacing the late Otieno Kajwang’.

REGIONAL BALANCE
With the ODM top brass meeting on Monday to review the process of picking the flagbearer, it is also emerging that the party could have narrowed down on three potential candidates after some aspirants told Mr Odinga at a joint meeting that Mr Okundi’s name should be struck out.

They pointed to an agreement reached before last year’s General Election that allocated the senate seat to Suba/Mbita regions, the governor to Rachuonyo and the Women’s Representative to Rangwe/Homa Bay town. Mr Okundi comes from Rangwe.

Mr Rabongo, who comes from Mbita, said the process must guarantee regional balance.

“The seat belongs to us. All aspirants from Suba/Mbita have agreed that nobody from outside will run away with our seat and the Suba council of elders has said as much,” he said.

Mr Caroli Omondi, a former aide of Mr Odinga, said the pact still holds.

“We still have a governor and a women’s representative in office from other regions as was agreed. The only thing that has changed is that we lost a senator,” he said.

GAUGE BASED ON MERIT
Only Mr Jakakimba has a differing opinion on the pact. “I have heard about the informal Memorandum of Understanding being referred to and suggestions that the seat should go back to Suba region.

It’s not my domain to comment about what would happen if a non-Suba lands the ticket, but what I firmly believe in is that all candidates must be gauged based on merit and their individual policy platforms.”

Mr Omondi asked the party to use the National Elections Board together with the National Executive Committee to carry out the nomination.

“Because this would be a team of relatively many people, it would certainly be objective. And, in doing this, they need to consider merit, intellectual material and an earlier interview all aspirants were subjected to.

It will also be fair to look at the financial support all of us have given to the party for the last one decade,” he said.

He denied suggestions that he would kick ODM out of Orange House in Nairobi, which he owns, if he is not selected. 

“I have supported the party since inception. In fact, I took the minutes the day it was formed and so my support will continue,” he said.

DIRECT NOMINATION WELCOMED
The Sunday Nation learnt that one of the candidates initially thought to be the front runner has been relegated to the periphery after allegations emerged that he ferried goons that disrupted nominations last Monday.

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission timetable, political parties have up to December 27 to conduct primaries.

This was after the High Court added 10 more days following a suit by ODM challenging the initial timeframe as being too tight to carry out credible nominations.

Candidates will then present their nomination papers between January 15 and16, setting the stage for the official campaigns between January 17 and February 10.

Most of the candidates who spoke to the Sunday Nation have welcomed the party’s decision to pick a candidate through a direct nomination.

They said they were aware the party was strained financially to conduct another poll barely a few days after the last primaries aborted.

WEED OUT INTERFERENCE
To further give credence to the issue of interference from some party honchos, Mr Omondi said: “We must also come out and get rid of interference by some politicians, especially from Siaya, who have a vested interest in the outcome of the selection process.”

Mr Jakakimba said the change movement being championed by Cord required a visionary leader who will not only articulate issues at the level of the county but also nationally.

Dr Kambona, another aspirant, denied claims that he had withdrawn from the race.

“I am still in the race for the ODM ticket. I have not stepped down for anybody, therefore I urge my supporters to keep up the fight until the matter is decided tomorrow,” he said in a statement sent to the Sunday Nation.

As the battle shapes up, proposals in support of Mr Moses Kajwang’, a brother of the late senator, have also been fronted.