The Orange Democratic Movement will bar its leader, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the party's cabinet ministers and members holding state-public office from contesting the forthcoming grassroots polls. The party’s National Elections Board (NEB) met yesterday and resolved to block any public officer from contesting seats in the polls.
The people locked out include Raila, his Deputy Musalia Mudavadi, Secretary-General Anyang Nyong'o, and Co-operatives Minister Joseph Nyaga.
Others are Election Board chairman Philip Okundi, the chairman of the Communication Commission of Kenya, and Athi Water Board chairman Reuben Ndolo.
This follows the warning by the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung'u last month to the ODM ministers and MPs to keep off the elections.
In a letter to Anyang Nyong'o, Ndung’u said the ministers and MPs risk losing their state-public portfolios should they offer themselves as candidates. “Any planned elections of a political party, no appointed state officer/public offer should offer themselves for elections to hold office in a party unless they intend to forfeit their state/public office,” the letter read.
The registrar's letter dated Thursday, May 26, was a follow up of another written to the ODM by the Charles Nyachae-chaired Commission on Implementation of the constitution (CIC).
In compliance, the ODM's Elections Board has advised all members who are state-public officers to take note of the provisions of the constitution. The NEB has particularly asked them to read Article 77 (2) of the Constitution together with Section 15 of the Political Parties’ Act 2007.
Article 77 (2) of the Constitution provides that, “Any appointed State officer shall not hold office in a political party.” Sources in ODM say the party has agreed to conduct its grassroots polls next month. The elections have been postponed a record five times this year. The National Elections Board meets this week to confirm the dates expected to be July 1 to 5.
The elections will culminate in the National Delegates Conference (NDC) at either Kasarani or Bomas of Kenya which will elect the national officials in August.
The ODM grassroots elections were initially scheduled for January but have been pushed forward with the National Elections Board led by Okundi giving various reasons for calling off the polls.
Raila called off the elections which were scheduled late last month after the ODM suffered a defeat in the Ikolomani by-election on May 23. The party’s National Elections Board has written to county coordinators instructing them to prepare for the elections.
A source within ODM intimated to the Star that the county coordinators have been instructed to ensure that only loyal members offer themselves for election. “They will do a thorough vetting and scrutiny to ensure that only committed and loyal party members offer and are cleared to contest the various positions,” the source added.
Yesterday the National Elections Board met to deliberate on the dates and preparations for the elections. The NEB secretary Joseph Misoi told the Star that the meeting had not confirmed the date of the polls but hinted it will be soon. “We will be meeting again tomorrow (today) to chart the way forward but I can assure you the elections will be very soon,” he said after the meeting.
The ODM has exempted counties like Kisii, Nyamira, Homa Bay and Migori from conducting the branch elections on Saturday July 2 as they are SDA dominated.
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