Raila Odinga pushes for six-piece voting to ensure ODM majority at Coast

Azimio la Umoja Coalition Flag Bearer Raila Odinga with Abdulswama in Nyali. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]

Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition flag bearer Raila Odinga is racing to have a clear majority of leaders elected at the Coast on August 9 General Election.

He used the four-day campaign tour of Coast to push for a clear majority amid sharp divisions among candidates in the coalition. Flanked by running mate Martha Karua, Raila drummed up the message that he needed many Members of County Assembly, National Assembly, Senate and Governors to comfortably run the country if elected.

In the campaigns in Taita Taveta, Kwale, Mombasa and Kilifi counties that ended on Friday, Raila pleaded with voters to adopt ‘six-piece’ voting pattern to give him a comfortable majority. At a rally held at Caltex grounds in Likoni Sub county on Wednesday evening, Raila who is ODM party leader pleaded with residents to embrace the six-piece voting model to ensure he has a strong team from the region. He noted he did not want to be a general without an army and urged the electorate to give him many elected leaders.

He noted, “I don’t want to be a general without soldiers. I need foot soldiers everywhere to be able to deliver on my vision for the country.”

ODM line-up

He lined up Mombasa ODM governor candidate Abdulswamad Nassir, Likoni MP Ms Mishi Mboko, Senator Mohamed Faki and Mombasa County Women Representative Zamzam Mohamed and pleaded with the people to elect them. Although several candidates are allied to Azimio coalition in Kwale County, Raila paraded ODM governor candidate Hamadi Boga, Senator Issa Juma, and County Women Rep candidate Fatuma Masito and told voters to elect them.

In Kilifi, he endorsed governor candidate Gideon Mung’aro, Senator Stewart Madzayo and County Women Rep Gertrude Mbeyu at a rally in Marafa, Magarini Constituency. Raila appeared not keen to present candidates from Jubilee Party, Wiper Democratic Movement and United Democratic Movement signaling sibling rivalry in the coalition. Raila and Karua were greeted with political drama on the first day of the tour in Taita Taveta County where governor and Jubilee Party candidate Granton Samboja had a public spat with Wiper governor candidate Dan Mwanzo.

Mwanzo who is former Taita Taveta Senator had claimed that the main problem in the county was corruption which called for a change of guard. But Samboja hit back claiming that Mwanzo was relieved of Kenya Ferry Services chairmanship over management issues. But Karua cautioned the Azimio camp that it risks giving room to their rivals in the Kenya Kwanza coalition with their wrangling. 

“You will give our opponents room if you publicly engage in political bickering. You should avoid actions that undermine our coalition,” she warned.

In Kilifi County, Joho urged residents to support Raila and ODM candidates as they had done since the 2007 polls and maintain the region as his stronghold.

“You have always voted for Raila and ODM candidates. You should not abandon Raila and the party at this time when he is headed to State House,” Joho pleaded.

In Taita Taveta County, Joho advised local politicians in Azimio to sort out their differences in other fora when Raila was not present. ODM has sponsored Thomas Mwakwida for the governor position in the county. Raila promised to tackle the Coast land question and settle thousands of squatters if elected president. He also pledged to set up processing plants to add value to farmers’ produce, local minerals and boost the blue economy.

Former Kisauni MP Mr Ananiah Mwaboza, however, believes pushing for six-piece voting was undemocratic and gave candidates of affiliate parties in a coalition a raw deal.

“Candidates in a political coalition should be treated as brothers and sisters. The coalition presidential candidate should allow all candidates space to compete,” argued Mwaboza.

Kilifi ODM vice chairman Joseph Chilumo told coalition partners to combine forces to ensure victory for Raila and also win many other seats.

“It is unfortunate that our partners in Azimio fear us. They are welcome because we all want Raila to win this election, and we also want to win key seats in this region. We are happy when Azimio parties win seats,” he argued.

Mr Chilumo who is a key grassroots campaigner for Raila said ODM welcomed coalition parties to its meetings to sell their campaign agenda to the election.

“In fact we held a party meeting this week and told our members and supporters to join hands with Azimio partners without any hostilities because we are one team. We are children of the same father,” he explained.

He, however, observed that the coalition campaign has been a challenge because some party officials and candidates within Azimio have failed the unity test. He expressed ODM’s readiness to accommodate Azimio partners such as Kanu, Jubilee Party and Wiper Democratic Movement and even have candidates for various seats share campaign platforms to push for Raila’s victory.

“We welcome even the independent candidates who support Raila’s candidature,” Chilumo said.

National secretary of the Wiper Women League and Nyali parliamentary candidate Millicent Odhiambo talked of frustrations within the Azimio coalition.

“At the Coast, it has reached a point where it looks like Azimio is ODM. The political environment in the coalition is unfriendly. We have been sidelined,” she claimed.