Disquiet rocks Raila's party as grassroots polls beckon

ODM leader Raila Odinga addresses party members at KICC on March 6, 2025. /ODM

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM party has been hit by unprecedented complaints ahead of its planned grassroots elections.

The Orange party is confronted by significant internal challenges with a number of constituencies contesting the final lists of delegates who will take part in the exercise that kicks off from April 7.

At least 10 constituencies have come forward to challenge the list of delegates.

Some of the constituencies where the delegates list has been disputed includes Ndhiwa, Rongo, Nyando, Nyakach, Embakasi West and Mathare.

Others are Ruaraka, Langata, Suna West, Matayos and Kwale County.

The complaints ranges from failure to conduct grassroots elections at the polling stations to an alleged change of delegates names at the party’s headquarters.

In Ndhiwa constituency, a faction of party officials alied to area MP Martins Owino has rejected the delegates list accusing the headquarters of altering with the outcome of November last year’s polling stations elections.

Led by Ndhiwa Constituency ODM Chairman Jerry Odeny, the leaders have demanded immediate withdrawal of the ‘fake’ list on the party’s portal.

“The list of delegates contains names of many people who were not elected at the polling stations. Therefore, we reject it,” Odeny said during a press conference attended by the area MP Martins Owino.

“The delegates they are objecting to were elected at polling stations. It seems they have specific individuals they want as delegates to favour them, but that will not happen,” added Kanyamwa  Kosewe Ward MCA Nicholas Owaka.

The party is yet to publicly respond to the concerns.

In the remaining nine constituencies, the party has acknowledged the complaints and promised to give a chance for a repeat of the exercise before they proceed with the constituency elections.

“Please note that the results from Embakasi West, Mathare, Ruaraka, Langata, Suna West, Nyakach, Nyando, Matayos and Kwale County have not been published since they were disputed,” the party posted on its website.

“The results will therefore be published once the Central Committee team which heard the appeals, releases its report.”

“There will be an extra window for the affected delegates to register for elections.”

According to the communication from National Elections Coordinating Committee (NECC) chairperson Emily Awita, the Party will conduct sub-branch (Ward) elections on Monday 7^th April 2025 across all the 47 counties.

“The Branch (Constituency) elections will be held on Wednesday 9^th April 2025, at designated centers across the 290 constituencies nationwide,” Awita said.

In the exercise, a total of 77 party officials will be elected at both sub-branch and branch levels across the four committees – Mainstream, Women’s league, Youth League, and Disability league.

In the mainstream, the positions up for grabs include chairperson, deputy chairperson, Secretary, deputy secretary, Treasurer, deputy treasurer, Organising secretary and his deputy.

The delegates will also elect Secretary for Women, Youth, Disability and special interest group representative.

In addition, the mainstream will also have eight officials designated as committee members.

According to Awita, the remaining committees - Women’s league, Youth League, and Disability league – will elect chairperson, deputy chairperson, Secretary, deputy secretary, Treasurer, deputy treasurer, Organising secretary and his deputy and special interest group representative.

They will be joined by 11 additional committee members.

Disgruntled members will have 12 hours following declaration of results to lodge complaints with Ward results attracting Sh15,000 fee and Sh30,000 for contesting branch constituency results.