Raila's ODM faces charged week with primaries in Nyanza amid bias claims

ODM leaders led by Homa Bay Governors Gladys Wanga./FILE

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM party faces a politically charged week as the outfit rolls out crucial primaries in its Nyanza stronghold, a process that has already sparked claims of bias and favouritism.

The nominations, seen as a key step in consolidating ODM’s grassroots machinery ahead of the November 27 by-elections, have triggered heated contests in constituencies regarded as Raila’s bedrock of support.

ODM has scheduled nominations in Kasipul and Ugunja constituencies on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. 

The party's National Elections Coordinating Committee chairperson Emily Awita confirmed that the primaries would be conducted through universal suffrage by registered party members.

They will use secret ballot to ensure fairness and transparency in the process.

The stakes are particularly high in these traditional ODM strongholds, where securing the party's ticket virtually guarantees electoral victory in the subsequent by-elections.

The party, whose ticket is hailed as crucial to secure in its strongholds, has also lined up similar exercises in a number of wards which had fallen vacant.

Already, aspirants are accusing local party officials of attempting to manipulate the exercise and tilt the process to favour preferred candidates.

In Kasipul and Ugunja, complaints have surfaced from aspirants who allege that party veterans are using their influence to tilt this week’s contests.

The two constituencies are predominantly ODM zones, and whoever wins the Orange ticket has a higher chance of winning the November 2027 by-elections.

In Kasipul constituency, Boyd Were, George Otieno alias Ajo Mbuta, Okindo Majiwa, Ottoman Adele and Newton Ogada have declared their bids for the Orange ticket.

The seat fell vacant following the brutal murder of then area lawmaker Charles Ong’ondo in April this year.

The contest has been complicated by endorsements from party heavyweights, with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga publicly supporting Boyd Were's bid to succeed his father, while Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga has thrown his weight behind Kepha Ogada, creating a visible rift within the party's leadership ranks. 

In Ugunja, a total of three aspirants, Fredrick Owino, Moses Omondi and Joseph Alur, have locked horns to replace Opiyo Wandayi, who joined the broad-based government as Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum.

Over the weekend, Alur raised the alarm over a plot to have known supporters of some of the candidates superintend Friday’s nomination.

“There are people who, in their Facebook and other social media postings, are aligned and rumours have it they are angling to be the referee in this contest,” Alur said.

The protest follows last week’s joint statement by aspirants from the two constituencies, who cautioned some senior party officials against meddling in the polls.

"We have some individuals in the same party who are now misbehaving, and they may interfere with the strength and integrity of our political party," the aspirants said in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, President William Ruto’s UDA party nominations went smoothly over the weekend in an exercise many party supporters lauded as free, fair and transparent.

In Malava constituency, Kakamega county assembly minority leader David Ndakwa emerged the winner after trouncing the late MP’s son, Ryan Malulu. Ndakwa bagged 6,477 votes against Ryan’s 3,783.

He will now square it out with DCP’s Edgar Busiega and Seth Panyako of DAP-Kenya in the by-election.

ODM opted out of the race and will be backing the ruling party’s candidate in line with an agreement the partnering parties reached.

In the Baringo senate seat, Vincent Chemitei bagged the ruling party’s ticket after securing 34,612 votes, beating his closest challenger Wycliffe Kipsang, who managed 24,683 votes.

Senate Majority Leader and Nandi senator Aaron Cheruiyot termed Chemitei’s win a "democracy at its best."

“With the stamp of approval to fly the UDA flag, I commit to roll up my sleeves and traverse every corner of the county to bring the crown home,” Cheruiyot said.

In Mbeere North, UDA’s Leo Muriuki will battle it out with the United Opposition’s candidate Newton Kariuki of DP.

Rigathi Gachagua’s DCP resolved to back DP candidate Kariuki, arguing that the seat was held by the party through Geoffrey Ruku, who has now joined the executive as Public Service Cabinet Secretary.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

Observers note that how Raila manages this week could determine whether ODM emerges stronger from the internal exercise or walks into the 2027 campaigns divided. Party strategists have hinted at deploying arbitration panels to handle disputes, but critics argue that without addressing accusations of bias, ODM risks disenfranchising many of its grassroots supporters.