Botched ODM polls report to be out this week

ODM leaders arrive for elections at Safaricom Sports Centre, Kasarani in February (Photo: Moses Omusula/Standard)

BY JAMES MBAKA

Kenya: A five-member task force formed to probe aborted ODM elections is expected to this week complete compiling a final report on those behind the goons who bungled the February 28 elections.

The team led by Jotham Nyukuri has finalised investigations and retreated to an undisclosed location in an attempt to unearth the truth on the botched National Delegates Convention (NDC) elections.

Other members of the probe team include Harold Kipchumba, Isaiah Mandala, Jotham Arwa and Mutalaki Mwashimba.

The team was set up by ODM party leader Raila Odinga following the botched elections.

The taskforce was given 30 days, upon its unveiling over a month ago, to carry out an extensive investigation into allegations that a section of party members hired well-dressed men in black suits to disrupt the elections.

Reliable sources indicate that some of the youths, used by senior ODM politicians to disrupt the exercise after sensing defeat by the Namwamba team, volunteered information to the team that implicated the politicians.

It is understood from reliable sources that some of the party’s top leadership gave the team a wide berth citing personal commitments in their roles and a clash of timings when they were scheduled to attend.

Nonetheless, the team managed to successfully summon for grilling acting party leader Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o, joint secretaries to the party caretaker committee Ababu Namwamba (Budalangi MP) and nominated Senator Dr Agnes Zani.

Spirited campaigns by warring factions coalescing around Namwamba and Zani created a major leadership split in the party as campaigns for top positions gathered momentum.

The Namwamba team christened ‘Team Fresh’ included governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Josphat Nanok (Turkana) among others.

The other team led by Zani included Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba) and Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’ among others.

Among those who appeared before the ODM investigative team were former Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo and former Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa.

“I am a clean man and I hope the team will vindicate me since I told them the truth,” Ndolo told The Standard last week.

According to sources, others who have already appeared before the probe team include ODM Executive Director Magerer Langat, his deputies Caesar Asiyo, Joshua Kawino and Rosemary Kariuki Machua.