Ranguma, Kisumu ODM leaders clash over voter listing

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma and a section of ODM leaders in county have locked horns over the ongoing mass voter registration.

The leaders, who include Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o, Deputy Governor Ruth Odinga, Nyando MP Fred Outa, former Muhoroni MP Ayiecho Olweny, former Kisumu mayor Sam Okello and aspirants Nicholas Oricho, Richard Ogendo, Seth Ochieng’ and county ODM officials, accused the governor of sabotaging the drive.

At a press conference in the Kisumu on Wednesday, the leaders accused Mr Ranguma of plotting to derail voter mobilisation to frustrate efforts to meet the target and have Cord leader Raila Odinga ascend to the presidency.

But in a quick rejoinder, Mr Ranguma dismissed the allegations, saying they are diversionary and accused the leaders of playing local politics.

“Their allegations are [an] unnecessary diversion. We are at a critical stage in the voter mobilisation process,” the governor said.

He went on: “Every minute counts for our journey to win the presidential elections and ensure that the Rt Honourable Raila Odinga becomes the next President.

“Rather than wasting time fighting small egocentric battles related to local politics, we must unite and focus our attention on mopping up every potential voter to register before [the] February 14 deadline.”

RANGUMA NOT SINCERE

But Prof Nyong’o and his team maintained that Mr Ranguma is not sincere in the quest for a Mr Odinga presidency.

They said despite electing Mr Ranguma to chair a leaders’ coordinating committee to spearhead the mobilisation exercise with Ms Odinga as his deputy, the governor “had never convened nor attended any meeting” aimed at boosting the exercise.

“This has not stopped the committee from crafting or drawing up its programmes which have seen a marked improvement in ID and voter registration. Our target has been, and still remains, to reach, if not to surpass, the IEBC voter registration target,” Prof Nyong’o said.

According to Prof Nyong’o, Mr Ranguma’s team had only this week woken up to the realisation that there is a voter registration exercise ongoing and taken “very pragmatic measures that the voter registration in this county must fail.”

“Why would one go and play loud music at a registration centre and throw money at people? The intention is very clear, to disrupt the exercise and hence achieve as depressed registrations as possible. In whose interest would it be if our people do not register in large numbers?” Ms Odinga wondered.

Mr Outa accused Mr Ranguma’s team of causing havoc at various registration centres by dishing out money thus throwing the registration exercise into confusion.

Prof Olweny said a similar scenario was witnessed on Tuesday at St Rita Girls Secondary School in Muhoroni where the governor “showed up, threw money at the crowds that were registering and pandemonium ensued with a lot of people getting injured and some being hospitalised.”

“We have since learnt that Ranguma’s grand plan is to follow and disrupt all the activities of our team,” Prof Nyong’o said.