Team probing botched ODM elections proposes overhaul of party secretariat

ODM executive director Magerer Lang’at. (Photo:File/Standard)

By James Mbaka

Kenya: The taskforce investigating the botched ODM elections recommends an overhaul of the party secretariat and re-constitution of the National Elections Board (NEB) before fresh polls are held.

Targeted is the party executive director Magerer Lang’at and NEB commissioners, who oversaw the bungled party elections, while there is no clear headway on who hired the ‘men in black.’

In their report to be released this Thursday the team struck a conciliatory approach and seemed concerned in resuscitating the party’s political fortunes by failing to name the financiers of the chaos.

Evidence tabled showed each of the two factions, in the contest for the ODM leadership, separately employed the services of some ‘unauthorised delegates’.

It also emerged that only four members of the tribunal have been conducting investigations after one of those appointed by ODM leader Raila Odinga withdrew citing State commitments.

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Jotham Arwa yesterday wrote to The Standard clarifying he had declined the appointment because he currently chairs a statutory tribunal, which bars him from engaging in matters of political parties. He is the chairman of the HIV and Aids Tribunal.

The team is chaired by Jotham Nyukuri with Harol Kipchumba, Isaiah Mandala, and Mtalaki Mwashimba as members.

But the team, compiling its final report to unravel the mystery surrounding the bungled National Delegates Convention (NDC), wants the secretariat and the body that oversaw the aborted exercise to take full responsibility for the chaos.

Accredited delegates

Also on the purge are Caesar Asiyo, director in-charge of co-ordination and Rosemary Kariuki who is the membership director. Ms Kariuki is the custodian of the party membership registers while Mr Asiyo oversees the party’s activities including the NDC. Raila unveiled the team on March 6 to carry out independent investigations and make recommendations on the circumstances that led to the eruption of violence.

The question on the excess number of people who attended the NDC, raised serious concerns with the secretariat being blamed for failure to manage the accreditation.

But Lang’at told the team that the secretariat only hired 50 youth to provide assistance to the police in performing secondary roles especially ensuring only accredited delegates were allowed in.