The Orange Democratic Movement has written to the Registrar of Political Parties objecting to attempts to register another party with the same initials.
The Raila Odinga-led party warned that should the new outfit be enlisted, it will confuse their members and supporters.
ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna confirmed they had written to registrar Ann Nderitu over the matter.
“We have written to the registrar,” the Nairobi senator said.
The Star has established that a former Kisumu CEC for Roads and Public Works Thomas Ondijo Owiti had sought reservation of three names for political party registration.
The names are ‘ODM Mpya’, ‘ODM Asili’ and ‘ODM Kamili’.
“I hereby formally apply for political party name reservation for subsequent registration upon fulfilment of your laid down processes/procedures and conditions as per the law,” Ondijo says in a letter to the registrar dated March 13.
The former CEC served in the first term of Governor Anyang’ Nyong'o's administration.
But ODM wants Nderitu to dismiss the application stating that the suggested names resemble that of their party.
The party further claims the suggested names fly on the face of the law governing the registration of political parties in the country.
“The application in question for the reservation of the names not only offends section 8 of the Political Parties Act, but smacks of a sinister motive geared at causing confusion within our membership and the public in general on the proper functioning if our party,” ODM said in a letter seen by the Star.
Section 8 (b), (c) of the Political Parties Act prohibits registration of parties with an abbreviation of another political outfit or nearly resembles the name or symbol.
“To embrace sanity in political parties’ registration and management, we therefore urge your office to uphold the law by dismissing the application for failing to meet the legal threshold,” the ODM letter reads.
But speaking to the Star Ondijo dismissed ODM’s argument, saying his party in no way bears any resemblance to the Orange outfit.
“There is no confusion at all. My Party is ODM Mpya while the other one is Orange Democratic Movement,” he said on phone.
The former CEC said his move to form the party has been occasioned by the bungling of nominations in the Raila-led party.
He said ODM Asili or Mpya will provide an alternative to all those disgruntled aspirants who feel shortchanged in the ODM primaries.
“The nomination has not been conducted well and I am here to give a chance to all disgruntled members. We want the people to have the free will to join either of the formations, if given the nod to proceed to register one," said Ondijo as he expressed confidence in getting the registrar’s nod.
He denied claims that he is working for some powerful forces out to wreck Raila’s political vehicle.
“I am my own man. It is 100 per cent my idea considering what I have observed aspirants going through during nominations,” he said.
