- ODM aspirants are wary of a shambolic nomination process, with voices of discontent already being heard in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties.
- Party leader Raila vowed to ensure that the party primaries are conducted with the utmost fairness possible.
Image: JOHN CHESOLI
A Kilifi politician has warned ODM against complacency, saying the momentum the party and its coalition Azimio la Umoja has gathered should not be derailed.
Yusuf Sheikh Mohamed, who is eyeing the Kilifi South MP seat, on Saturday said the manner in which the party conducts its nominations, set to start April 1 across the country, will have an impact on the Azimio campaign.
“We are gaining momentum. We have got the backing of the 'Iron Lady' Martha Karua. She is a formidable woman who always leans on the right side of justice,” Sheikh, popularly known as Mjomba, said.
He spoke during a meet-the-people tour of Majengo in Kilifi county where he announced his candidature in the race to unseat incumbent Ken Chonga in the August 9 polls.
ODM aspirants across the Coast region are wary of a shambolic nomination process in ODM, with voices of discontent already being heard in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties.
However, the party assured party members that this time the nominations process will be free and fair.
ODM leader Raila Odinga vowed to ensure that the party primaries are conducted with the utmost fairness possible.
In Mombasa, ODM chairperson Khamis “Dee” Mohamed set in motion processes he said will ensure free and fair nominations.
However, some aspirants are already raising concern about the process.
Governor aspirant Suleiman Shahbal warned they will not allow any monkey business in the party primaries and demanded inclusion in the whole preparation process.
“We want to be fully involved in the planning for the primaries because we do not want what happened in 2013 to be repeated,” he said.
He is battling Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and Deputy Governor William Kingi for the ODM ticket to succeed Hassan Joho as Mombasa governor.
Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi, former Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba and Likoni MP aspirant Bernard Waore, who all support Shahbal, said they might be denied the ODM tickets.
In Kwale, a section of residents asked ODM to conduct nominations for every contested political seat.
They opposed the idea of giving direct tickets to certain individuals, saying it will cause enmity and division between party members.
On Friday, a group of Woman Representative Zuleikha Hassan's supporters cried foul alleging that the party was going to deny her the ticket.
On Saturday, Sheikh said any planned monkey business with the ODM primaries is a road to failure as a party.
“There will be mass walkouts and the people on the ground might teach the party a bitter lesson at the ballot box,” Sheikh said.
He said any degree of unfairness in the ODM primaries will damage the chances of Raila succeeding President Uhuru and might work in favour Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Sheikh further said for the sake of the Coast region, which has about 2.2 million registered voters, the Azimio momentum must not be interfered with.
“This is the time the Coast region stands to gain from a Raila presidency. For a long time, Coast has been marginalised by successive governments," Sheikh said.
The aspirant said a Raila victory will open the space for other communities, including the minority communities in Kenya, to ascend to power after this year's election.
“It will end the belief that it is only members from two communities in Kenya that can ascend to the presidency which has been the case since independence,” Sheikh said.
He said the journey to Canaan is taking shape and this is shown by Narc-Kenya’s Martha Karua joining the Azimio coalition.
Sheikh said his vision is to ensure the basic foundations of education, infrastructure and women empowerment n Kilifi South are achieved.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
Image: JOHN CHESOLI