ODM aspirants accuse party officials of favouring other candidates ahead of by-elections

Aspirants seeking the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ticket during the forthcoming by-elections have fired a stern warning to party officials who they say have taken a stand on their preferred candidates.

The aspirants, drawn from Kasipul and Ugunja constituencies, told the said party officials to desist from meddling in the primaries slated for next week.

They decried that a section of party officials, both at the constituency and national level, had already endorsed their preferred candidates before the nominations—a move they termed as unjust and unfair to other aspirants.

They were speaking on Tuesday afternoon after a meeting chaired by ODM National Election Board (NEB) Chairperson Emily Awita to come up with modalities on how the primaries will be conducted next week.

"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.

"The ODM chairman in Kasipul is campaigning with one candidate and saying openly that we are done with nominations and we are waiting for 2027."

According to the aspirants, the meeting settled on the secret ballot method as the means of conducting the primaries scheduled between the 24th and 27th of this month.

"What ODM should give to people who love the party is a free, fair and credible by-election for Kasipul," they stated.

In Kasipul constituency, five aspirants—George Otieno alias Ajo Mbuta, Okindo Majiwa, Ottoman Adele, Boyd Were and Newton Ogada—are seeking to earn an ODM ticket ahead of the November 27 by-election following the death of area lawmaker Charles Ong’ondo in April this year.

In Ugunja, a total of three aspirants—Fredrick Owino, Moses Omondi and Joseph Alur—are battling for the ODM party ticket to run for the MP seat, which remained vacant after Opiyo Wandayi was appointed to serve in the Executive last year.