ODM says no primaries for Senate seat

Raila Odinga’s ODM party has ruled out conducting primaries for Migori Senate by-election slated for October 8.

Instead, ODM says it will invoke an internal party rule that gives its National Executive Committee Board (NEC) a leeway to handpick the candidate.

“In respect to the Migori County senatorial seat, the NEC shall determine the mode of nomination of its candidate in accordance to Rule 18.2 of the ODM election and nomination rules. The decision of NEC shall be communicated on or 27th July and the successful candidate shall be notified of the decision,” National Election Board (NEB) Secretary Dave Arunga said.

Election day

The ODM party made the decision on Monday evening shortly after meeting Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials where they were informed about the election day.

Yesterday, IEBC Communication Manager Andrew Limo confirmed that the Migori voters go to polls on October 8, 2018, to pick the replacement of Senator Ben Oluoch who died of cancer last month.

The move by ODM has now raised fears of an already preferred candidate as several aspirants were preparing to battle it out in the primaries. Clinching the ODM ticket is an almost assurance of being elected, given the party is the most popular in the region. 

ODM constitution allows it to hold direct nominations, use delegates system or universal suffrage to pick its candidate.

Among those who are eyeing the seat include former ministers Dalmas Otieno and Ochillo Ayacko (both former Rongo MPs), youthful former SONU chairman David Osiany, former Nyatike MP Omondi Anyanga and Eddy Oketch who emerged number two in the last General Election.

The family of the late Senator Ben Okello wants empathy votes and has picked Mark Okundi to succeed him.

Mr Anyanga and former Suna East MP John Pesa asked the party to allow all the aspirants to face the people at the ballot.

During the burial of Okello last week, ODM chairman John Mbadi said the party will not hand over the ticket to aspirants, who upon being elected, switch allegiance to other parties.

“It would be prudent for the party just to allow all of us to face the electorate at the ballot as opposed to deciding for us,’’ said Mr Pesa.

And Anyanga said he is in the Senate race not based on his appetite for the seat, but because he is under pressure from the people to go for it.

“I have been reluctant to go for the seat. But the pressure from the people has been overwhelming hence my resolve to declare that I am firmly in the race for Migori Senate seat,” he said.

Emerged second

Eddy Oketch, who emerged second in the last General Election, also declared that he will be in the race again.

“I would be happy to see ODM uphold its democratic tenets to allow the people of Migori choose their leader from among the contestants,’’ Oketch told The Standard.

So far, Jubilee Secretary-General and presumed Cabinet Secretary for political affairs Raphael Tuju accepted a request by Raila that the ruling party should not field a candidate for the seat.