The Standard | ODM nomination tussle continues as Kajwang’ roots for NDC

The Standard | ODM nomination tussle continues as Kajwang’ roots for NDC

By JAMES OMORO

Homa-Bay County ODM officials have said the party nomination for presidential candidate must be done at the National Delegates Conference (NDC).

Led by their Chairman, Otieno Kajwang’, who is also the Immigration minister and his Deputy Rangwe Mp Martin Ogindo, the party officials said the constitution of the party clearly stipulates that the nomination is done at the NDC.

Homa-Bay County ODM Chairman Otieno Kajwang'. The party officials want presidential candidate nominations done at the National Delegates Conference. Photo:File/Standard

They challenged those who propose that the nomination be done at county levels, saying their move was unconstitutional.

There have been dissenting opinions between two factions within ODM as the allies of the party leader Prime Minister Raila Odinga were supporting the nomination to be done at the NDC while the supporters of deputy party leader Musalia Mudavadi wanted it to be done at county level.

Speaking in Homa –Bay town during an inaugural meeting that was aimed at welcoming the party officials since they were elected into their respective offices in November last year, the leaders said they welcomed Mudavadi’s faction to carry out their campaign in Homa-Bay County even though their support is behind the Prime Minister.

Separately, Kajwang’ said the National Elections Act in the new constitution that stipulates educational threshold for a candidate to vie an electoral position requires quick amendments before the general election.

He described the act discriminatory as it restricts aspirants for the County Assembly seats from vying.

It stipulates that whoever is vying must have attained beyond Form Four level of education while the National Assembly seats are open as long as somebody has attained Form Four education.

The Minister appealed to Members of Parliament to put in place an audit committee that will ensure a third of either gender is represented in the next parliament in order to increase the number of women who are the minority in the current parliament.

"The constitution states that there should be a third of either gender in the elective posts, but there are no modalities in place to ensure what will be done if one third of either gender is not met," he said.