Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda has told Siaya Senator James Orengo to prepare for a major fight during ODM party nominations for the county's governorship.
Ochanda told the Senator to forget any negotiations that would hand him the candidacy in 2022.
The MP was responding to Orengo’s remarks over the weekend that many leaders, Ochanda included, have benefitted from negotiated party primaries.
Orengo alleged that the MP was imposed on Bondo residents by the ODM party without the consent of the public.
“Ochanda was the greatest beneficiary in 2013 of the process that he is now dismissing,” Orengo said.
But the Bondo MP dismissed any deals in the next general election in Siaya county, saying it will breed leaders with no development track record.
“There are always no negotiations in Siaya. Only a few leaders usually sit down and announce that it is now Orengo and company,” Ochanda said.
The lawmaker said talk that some candidates have had to negotiate for seats at ODM's Orange House headquarters are false.
“Let leaders contest and the nominations be free and fair. Let the residents vote so that if they get a bad leader, they can blame themselves,” Ochanda said.
Ochanda said he is aware that the party has had a difficult time during nominations, but they should come up with a clean professional process.
“If they don’t want competitive nominations let them say it is direct nominations to public office through a means that must be done objectively,” Ochanda said.
The lawmaker said that if the party nominations were difficult to manage, the IEBC can conduct them on behalf of the parties.
Ochanda challenged political parties to manage their funds well and to use them to conduct the primaries.
“Let them put aside some of the Sh4.2 billion that was given to Nasa for purpose of their party nominations,” Ochanda said.
(edited by O. Owino)
